


Going Against The Grain

by Koko91



Series: The Redheaded Witch [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Bondage and Discipline, Dom/sub, F/M, Face-Sitting, Fluff and Smut, Gratuitous Smut, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Restraints, Rough Sex, Size Kink, Topping from the Bottom, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:21:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 78,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26161816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koko91/pseuds/Koko91
Summary: Sam and Dean are headed to Scituate, MA after receiving word from Bobby that something is happening. People are dying and they aren't sure why. Is it really suicide or is something more sinister at work? And who is she? What does she have to do with it?
Relationships: Sam Winchester/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Redheaded Witch [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1919419
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25





	1. Arriving

Sam wasn’t quite sure how he came to be trying not to touch the hysterical young woman who clung to him as his brother failed to smother a grin. He gave Dean a dry look as he held out his arms wide, the tall blonde clinging to the front of his jacket. They hadn’t even introduced themselves as FBI agents before the girlfriend of the latest victim had thrown herself into him, apparently understanding that they were there to help as soon as she opened the door. He reminded himself to make sure Dean knocked next time so he would have to deal with this. “Miss Kelly, why don’t we go sit down,” he told her gently. The tall man then used her shoulders to guide her to face away from him.

“Yeah, yeah… sure,” she continued to sob quietly as she led the way back into the apartment. The place was a small one bedroom, perfect for a couple just starting out, or so it was supposed to be.

Dean shut the door behind them, already scanning for signs of the paranormal in the dwelling. The fact that there was no smell of sulfur, no ozone, and no other outward signs of anything else didn’t mean much. He did pour some holy water into the woman’s cup of water, hoping to clear her of being a demon as well as using the motion of drinking something to calm her so they could actually have a conversation with her.

As they sat in the living room, the woman shaking as she drank from the cup of water, the men made sure to keep their professional faces on. Dean held out a false FBI badge before slipping it back into his coat pocket. “I’m Agent Hamilton, this is my partner, Agent Perry. We had heard what happened and wanted to make sure everything was okay. We heard there was some questions as to whether it was a suicide or not.” Dean leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Can you tell us what happened, Miss Kelly?”

The woman nodded quickly through her tears, reaching and snagging a tissue from the box on the table. She dabbed her eyes and blew her nose. “Call me Lizzy, everyone does.” Brown eyes focused on the two men in front of her. “I just can’t believe that Sean would kill himself. It was just a stupid fight. It was a bad one, but he knows that I always come back. I just left to cool off. I was only gone a couple of hours -”

Sam held up his hand to halt the rambling. “Why don’t you start from the beginning?”

The blonde nodded again. “Sean and I have been together for a while, almost a year. We get along fine, we just fight sometimes. A couple of days ago, we had a screaming match, nothing bad!” She insisted, her brown eyes wide as she waved away any thoughts of an abusive relationship. “It was stupid, he had forgotten to put the toilet cover down again and my toothbrush had fallen in. I was upset. After screaming at each other, I left. I just went to clear my head. I walk the beach when I’m upset. So I went and watched the sunset to calm down. I was there ‘til just after dark. When I came back, he was on the sidewalk. They said that he had jumped, suicide.” She dissolved into hysterics again, grabbing several more tissues. “He knows that I always come back.”

The brothers exchanged a look. “Did he have any history of depression, or drug use?”

Lizzy looked up, her brown eyes wide in shock. “No! Never! He never even drank! He was always so happy, even when we fought, he always welcomed me back with some sort of smile, reminding me that we’d figure it out.” She buried her face into her hands. “He wouldn’t do this, no.”

“This is a hard question, but did anyone actually see him jump?” Dean asked, propping his head up on his hand.

She stared at them in silence for a moment or two, as if she was trying to understand the question. “I-I don’t know. The neighbors said that they had just heard him - Heard him land.” The tissues made a reappearance.

“Did you or your neighbors see anything strange that day? Anything out of the ordinary?” Sam asked, gently.

The blonde sniffled, blowing her nose again. “The birds. The birds were weird.”

“What birds?” Dean leaned forward, interested in this detail.

She gestured with her hand towards the windows. “There was a flock of big black birds outside the building. They were making a racket. We’re used to the seagulls, being on the coast, but these birds were different.” A shiver went down her spine thinking about them. “I didn’t like them.”

Sam and Dean took another look at each other, communicating silently. Subtle nods were exchanged before the eldest pulled out a blank business card. “This is our number. If there is anything else that you remember or think we need to know, please give us a call.” He scribbled down the current burner number on the card before handing it over.

“We’re sorry for your loss,” Sam told the young woman softly as they rose and headed out of the small apartment. As they shut the door, they could hear the woman break down into sobs again. They remained quiet until they returned to the Impala. Leaning against the side of the classic car, the two men looked up at the three story apartment building.

“There aren’t any birds,” Dean said, crossing his arms across his chest as he watched Sam pull the file from the car. “Do you think that they only hung around until the guy died?”

Sam shrugged, flipping through the medical examiner’s report they had snagged earlier in the day. “It says here that Sean’s injuries were consistent with someone jumping from at least a ten story building.” He looked back up. “Their apartment is on the third floor.” Dean could see the mental calculations going on in his head. “Depending how he landed, he had a decent chance of surviving. The other thing was that Sean had his glasses on when he died.” Shutting the file, he looked over at his brother. “I don’t believe that he killed himself.”

Dean raised an eyebrow, confused with the statement. “What do his glasses have to do with anything?”

Sam tossed the file back into the car. “People who kill themselves take their glasses off before they jump.”

The elder brother took a moment to absorb that information. “Alright, what do we know about the town?”

“There’s a local tavern that is supposed to be good, and it’s one of the oldest in the town. Let’s grab some food and maybe some locals will be able to help us out.”

As Dean drove through the town, Sam observed the surroundings. The Massachusetts seaside town was exactly how you would expect. Food, atmosphere, friendly locals even during the off season, and he could smell the ocean through the open windows. They pulled up to the tavern, noting the sign for Eli’s Pub off to the side.

“Come on,” Dean said, grabbing the files as he shut the door. “They better have a bacon cheeseburger. I’m starving.”

Once they were settled in a back booth with beers in hand and food on the way, Sam pulled out the laptop and dug into his research while Dean shuffled through the paperwork on the four victims. They had picked up this case when Bobby had asked them to come out, but weren’t quite sure yet into what sort of paranormal they were looking for yet.

“Sean O’Connor, Logan O’Rourke, Abigail Dunn, and Hollie Greene,” Dean read off. “They were all found on the sidewalks outside of their homes, all dead from reported suicides. All suicides appeared to be from falls greater than ten stories. Shortest actual distance appeared to be two stories, the highest is four. All of which could be survivable if landing right, or deadly if landing wrong. No abnormal marks. They aren’t related in any way. What is connecting them? All I see here is the falls and too short of a distance to do the damage we see.”

“They’re all Irish,” Sam quipped. “But that doesn’t say much. Scituate is over sixty percent Irish. No reported history of mental illness or drug use. Even their social media is clean. It was as if something carried them away and dropped them.”

“What are you lads looking at here?”

Both hunters looked up to see what looked like a drunk local fisherman sliding his way into their booth. Dean recognised that the man was long past being coherent. “We’re with the FBI,” he answered. “We’re looking into the string of suicides.”

The drunk man laughed, throwing his head back. The boys were put on edge. That wasn’t happy laughter. “Those weren’t no suicides!” He told the two, pushing himself back up to his feet. The conversation seemed to have gathered the attention of other locals. “It’s that witch, I tell you!” The man stumbled over his feet as he yelled in anger, but managed to catch himself on the back of a chair, turning it to sit down again. He grabbed a half-empty drink that had been left there and threw it back like it was water. “My Hollie wouldn’t kill herself!” the man yelled before dissolving into tears.

Sam looked back at Dean before moving from the booth to sit in a chair next to the man. “Who was Hollie?”

“She was my little girl,” the man said. “She had just moved out to live with that new boyfriend of hers, Mark.” He swiped his hand over his cheeks, trying to remove the tears. “Something was going on between the two of them. Mark had visited that damn witch and things hadn’t been the same between them. One night, Mark left and they found my Hollie in the morning.” The man’s sobbing increased to the point where he was unable to speak for the moment. Sam handed him a napkin as another local man clapped a hand on the distraught father’s shoulder.

“The police said that Mark had told them about a fight they had the night before, apparently Hollie had kicked him out. Mark had told the police that he was going back to get his stuff from the apartment to move out,” the other local finished. “He had spent the night at his other girlfriend’s house.”

Sam winced in sympathy. “Who is this witch that he was talking about?”

The older man sighed, straightening out his baseball cap. “No one knows much about her. She lives in a house on the outskirts of town, in the conservation area right along the beach headed south. She doesn’t really leave but she sells out of her home. People say you can find a spell for anything there and that she knows what you need before you even know.”

“Thank you.” The younger hunter nodded towards the men. “Do you need help with him?”

“Nah,” the guy waved them off before jerking a thumb at the group of guys behind him. “He can crash with us and we’ll let his wife know that he’s safe. You have a good night.”

Sam headed back to his brother who had been observing the scene closely. “What do you think?”

“I think we have a possible link and a possible lead. We’ll go check out this witch tomorrow, snag a motel room tonight. We’ll get the amulets and protection ready. Also, Lizzy had said that she and Sean had a fight the night that he died. Now we have that Mark cheated on Hollie and she kicked him out the day she died. You think it’s a couple thing? That they have a fight and that’s the trigger?”

“I’m not so sure. From what I can find, Abigail wasn’t in a relationship and Logan’s wife is in Afghanistan. Who knows when they last talked?” Sam looked down at his watch. “It is only four o’clock. We could make it to the witch’s shop with plenty of time.”

The waitress picked the perfect time to drop off their food. Dean couldn’t help but salivate when he saw his bacon cheeseburger. “Alright, come to papa.”

Sam shook his head before cleaning up the paperwork and the laptop, keeping everything safe from his overzealous brother.

It wasn’t even five o’clock by the time they headed to the witch’s home. There was one problem though, there were no marked roads on the map where the house was supposed to be. It took some hunting, but the men found a well travelled dirt road into the conservation area. “Her family must have been here a long time for her home to be out here,” Dean commented, keeping a sharp eye out and a hand on his pistol. It was already loaded with witch-killing bullets.

The younger hunter couldn’t help but notice that the seaside forest was alive as they drove through it. He could hear different types of animals as dusk was approaching, which did help him feel better. Nature always seemed to know when a predator or something that needed to be avoided was nearby.

The road the followed was clear and smooth, the Impala having no trouble managing it. As the sunset started throwing colors across the sky, they found the home. It was both larger and smaller than they expected. It was a stone cottage with a thatch roof. The road led into a large garden with plenty of space to park next to an unremarkable pick up truck. Unfolding from the Impala, Sam could make out hundreds of different herbs and flowers in the garden, all thriving in the coastal climate. He could hear chickens and goats that were housed in their pens on the other side of the home. Turning back to the home, there was a well kept wooden porch and a wooden door was wide open, catching the sea breeze. Sam couldn’t help but almost feel welcome at the home, a strange feeling for him. Casting a glance at his brother, he could see the same reaction. Dean looked unsure of himself, an odd thing for going into the home of a so-called witch.

The elder hunter made sure his gun was tucked in easy reach as he walked up the porch. “Anybody home?” he called as he knocked on the open door. Inside, he could see the massive set up of shelves containing ingredients with a work space, an altar, and a loft overhead that seemed to house multiple beds. Through the house, he could see another porch facing the ocean, allowing a draft through the home, keeping the space fresh with sea air.

“Welcome!” a musical voice called. “Make yourselves at home.”

The men turned to see a small kitchen where a young woman in a long blue linen dress stirred a pot on the stove. Pulled back into a series of braids held in ribbons and metal beads, the riot of copper strands fell to her waist. As she turned to face the brothers, she dried her hands on an apron tied around her waist. “I know you just ate, but you’ll be hungry soon enough. I wanted to make sure I had enough to feed the both of you.” Large sapphire blue eyes took in the two men, the absence of make up proving that they were natural. “I’m Caeley McDonough. I was wondering when you would arrive.” She had a soft Irish accent, just enough to make out.

The two men froze in their shoes, unsure how to take this new development. Dean broke the silence first. “We’re sorry to trouble you at home, but this is Agent Perry and I’m Agent Hamilton. We’re with the FBI.”

“Now, gentleman. How about we agree that you’ll tell the truth and so will I? Besides, while I agree that Aerosmith wrote some amazing music, I don’t believe that they were the best to use as fake FBI agent names.” She turned to the stove a few seconds before the tea kettle whistled. “Want to try introducing yourselves again?”

Dean looked dumbstruck and Sam couldn’t help but try and stifle the laughter, though he failed miserably. It had been a while since someone had called them out. It was a nice change of pace even though they did not know where they stood with the young woman. Dean shook himself, pulling himself back together and clearing his throat. “I’m Dean, and this is my brother Sam. We’re here about the suicides.”

Caeley’s shoulders slumped as she filled two mugs of tea. She reached into the cabinet next to her and pulled out a bottle of Irish whiskey, as well as a jar of herbs. “You are here because the fishermen pointed their fingers at me.” It wasn’t a question, but a sad statement. “Please, sit.” She sat first at the four person table tucked into a corner. Prior to drinking her tea, she placed a cup in front of Sam and the whisky in front of Dean, pulling a small glass down from a nearby shelf. She handed the jar to Sam. “Lavender, chamomile, and lemon balm for the tea. Nothing else. That’s all that went into the kettle.” She slid her cup towards Dean. “Feel free to add your holy water.” She dropped her face into her hands, drawing deep breaths. “I give you my word, I’ve never harmed anyone, let alone those four.”

Putting the flask away, he pushed her cup of tea back towards her. “What good is your word? Witches can’t be trusted,” Dean snapped. He cracked open the seal on the whiskey, smelling it before pouring a glass.

Caeley flinched at the harsh words, her hands wrapping around her tea cup. “I’m a truthsayer. I can tell when I’m being lied to and I cannot say anything other than the absolute truth.” She took a sip, showing no reaction to the holy water.

“That’s why you knew that we had given you fake names,” Sam confirmed, taking a sip of his own tea. He recognised the herbs as ones commonly used to soothe anxiety. Did she know earlier that she was going to need the herbs? Is that also how she knew that they were coming? “How did you know that we would be here?”

“I am an empath, as well as… I wouldn’t say I have premonitions, but intuition would be the better word. I knew that I would have guests and that they would need to eat. I knew that it would be two and that one would prefer whiskey to tea. It has never been explained how I knew that these things would happen. If you know an explanation, I would be happy to hear it.”

“Have you always been a witch?” Dean asked, knocking back a shot.

The redhead nodded. “All of the women in my family are. We’ve been in this cottage since prior to the town’s founding. It was easy to hide when we had to, but we’ve always been available to those who have needed us.”

“We were told that the boyfriend of one of the victims came to visit you prior to the victim’s death.” Sam leaned forward. He had ended up on one side of Caeley while his brother was on the other, her back to the wall. He couldn’t help but wonder if she had done that on purpose to help the hunters feel more at ease.

She nodded, pain evident on her face. “That… I can’t think of a word negative enough for him without insulting his parents…” She scrunched her nose in thought.

“Asshole?” Dean supplied.

“Thank you. That asshole didn’t know how lucky he was. He showed me a picture of Hollie. I seriously thought about going out to find her myself after what he had told me, but I knew that she would never believe me. Hollie was pregnant, just found out, the poor lamb, and he wanted me to give him something to help terminate the pregnancy.” Her face grew red in anger as her eyes watered. “I let the goats chase him out of here and the ladies were happy to do it. If I ever see him again, I’ll do worse to him. He just wanted his time going between the two women to continue. I managed to get a hold of Hollie and sent her a message telling her that the asshole was cheating on her. I wish I could have seen her throw him out. When I heard what happened the following night, I understood why I wanted to go get her. She would have been safe with me.” 

“Do you know what is happening?” Dean asked, his voice and expression chilling. The threat in his tone was easy to detect.

The witch glared at the male, eyes burning with blue fire as she looked down her nose at the elder male.

Sam couldn’t help but be impressed, feeling the power that Caeley was expressing. She had immediately understood what Dean was asking. He also was impressed by her restraint. He had a feeling that if she felt inclined to, she could have thrown Dean out of the home herself, not relying on a group of goats. “If you are suggesting I had something to do with this, you are completely out of line.This is my community. I protect them to the best of my ability. Who do you think contacted Bobby Singer with the fact that something was going on?”

Dean sat back up in his seat, still gazing coldly at the Irish woman. Sam could already see the battles happening between the two of them and couldn’t help but chuckle. Sobering up, Sam drew back Caeley’s attention. “You know Bobby?”

Power receding, the redhead gave Sam a sad smile. “I’ve known Bobby for a long time. I’m not sure how much he wants me to tell you, he is quite private. But I’ve been someone that he contacts when it comes to protection. I also am an option for a safe house when needed, though he doesn’t seem to like sending people to me. With the two of you, I believe that I have met five hunters.” She looked up towards the ceiling as she counted. “Yes, five. But I want to make sure you are aware that if you are in the area and you need help, you are always welcome.”

“How old are you?” Dean asked suddenly.

There was a slight flush of embarrassment along her cheeks. “Did anyone tell you that it’s impolite to ask a lady’s age?”

The younger male chuckled. “I believe that we are already aware that you are much older than you look.”

She rolled her eyes before meeting his hazel gaze. “I’m eighty-five. I was born in 1927.”

“Did you get your powers from a demon?” Sam asked, his eyes roving over the jewelry that she wore.

“I swear that the two of you have no idea how to talk to a witch,” she snapped, her temper getting the best of her. She pushed herself away from the table, returning to the stove. She filled two bowls with thick chowder. She dropped them in front of the two boys with two soup spoons. “Homemade clam chowder,” she said before turning away from the boys.

Caeley knew deep down that the boys had not had many, if any, positive experiences with witches. Hunters had a very negative connotation of witches. That was probably why Bobby had kept her hidden from many of the hunters in the area. It was why she kept herself hidden from everyone, not just hunters. There were reasons that she did not leave her little home. “I’m a natural witch, not a borrower” she explained to the two men, slowing down and losing the harsh tone to her voice. “Everything I know was taught to me, though I do have gifts that are mine alone. My grandmother told me that I am the most powerful in our line, but if I ever have half her power, I will count myself lucky. My gifts are aligned with defense and healing, though I have several grimoires that allow me to learn other things.”

Sam perked up at that. “You have grimoires? Can we see them?”

“Are you training to be a witch? I’d let you see them if you were looking for something in particular,” the redhead asked, leaning against her work table. “I would not allow you to keep them under any circumstance. They have been collected through the years by my family, usually to keep them out of harm's way or to keep them from causing harm. Some should never see the light of day again.”

Sam shrugged. “We’re looking for any information that could help us.”

Dean leaned forward, his mouth half full of chowder. “You never answered the question. Do you know anything about what is going on in the town?” This time, he had asked with less accusation.

Caeley still leveled a glare at him, crossing her arms across her chest. “I have theories, but nothing more than that. I haven't been able to confirm them.”

“Anything is better than nothing,” Sam countered. He held his arms up in a placating gesture, inviting the woman back to the table.

The witch watched the two hunters carefully, weighing her options. Dean’s comment earlier had struck a chord. Her grandmother had been a child during the witch trials. Thankfully, her great-grandfather had been able to keep the family safe, prompting the move back to Scituate to stay with her great-great-grandmother who had already been occupying her current home. People blamed bad things on good people because they didn’t want to face the fact that there were bad people, bad forces out there, or the fact that sometimes bad things just happen. She knew that this was different and despite her fears, she knew that she needed to help the boys. Straightening her spine, she turned to her shelf of books in the living room. It took her a moment to find what she was looking for, but she had the correct page by the time she had reached the table. “Have you ever heard of the Underfolk?” she asked, keeping the book close to her for the moment.

Both of their brows dropped in confusion. “No. What are they?” Dean asked.

She gave herself a deep breath, steeling herself for the conversation ahead. “They go by a few names, the Underfolk, the Wild Hunt, or the Host of the Unforgiven Dead. These are the safe names to call them by. To call them by their true name is to call them to you. Do not, I repeat, do not say their name out loud. I do not want them on my land and I do not want to risk any of us.” She lay the book open on the table, turning it to face Sam as Dean stood to look over his brother’s shoulder.

“The Sl-”   
  


“What did I just say?!” Caeley cried as Sam slapped a hand over his brother’s mouth. “Do not say their name!” She sighed heavily. “I swear, the two of you are nothing but trouble.” She leaned over the table to point out certain things in the book. “They fly in from the west in search of their prey, the broken-hearted. Usually, they don’t stay in one place very long. I believe that something is keeping them here, still hunting the souls of those they can capture.”

“How do they kill their victims?” Sam asked, leaning over the table to read.

Caeley had a sudden pull at the sight of his long neck exposed. She wanted to wrap her hand around it as she had him pinned to a bed. She wanted to grip his long hair as she left her mark on him. Needing to pull back from the urge, she stepped away from the table. Thankfully, she had another pull, leading toward her work station. Someone was coming to visit her, looking for a stimulant as far as she could tell, but she wasn’t sure. Looking for something to lesson loneliness and increase happiness. Something was off about it though. She’d have to be careful.

Dean looked up to see their contact staring out the front door. “Caeley?” he grunted.

This caught Sam’s attention. The woman had a far away look in her eye. “Is someone coming?” he asked.

“Yes,” she answered quietly. Her head tilted as she thought. “You’ll be safe in the house. You’ll be able to enjoy your chowder and read.” Her nose scrunched up in thought. There was something that she was missing, but she couldn’t be sure what it was. As far as she could tell, as long as they didn’t leave her home, they would be safe.

Dean watched the redhead. “There’s something else?” He knew there was, but decided to phrase it as a question.

Sharp blue eyes focused on him. “We’re fine,” she answered vaguely, waving a hand at him. She turned to her work station.

The younger hunter pushed the book towards his brother, inviting him to do his own reading as he watched the witch. “Why do you think Hollie would have been safe with you?” he asked, referring back to their earlier conversation.

Caeley searched through her ingredients, looking for the ones she would need, or might need. She wouldn’t know for sure what the visitor was looking for until he arrived. “I have no western facing windows or doors,” she answered. “The Underfolk only come from the west. A calling card of theirs is dropping their victims from great heights. Upon the death of their victim, they collect their souls, not allowing them to go on to where they are supposed to go.”

“That explains the bodies looking like they have fallen from over ten stories. These Underfolk keep dropping them. You said they don’t hang around though, usually,” Dean stated.

Caeley nodded, looking over her shoulder at the two men. “They don’t want to draw attention to themselves otherwise their prey tends to figure out what is going on. When prey grows wise, they can't be considered prey anymore.”

“Can you kill these things?” the younger male asked.

The witch nodded again. “They are the spirits of humans that have been twisted. I’ve read that they can be destroyed if you are able to locate where they are buried and burn the bones.” She headed to the table and turned the pages of the book, landing on a few drawings. “They look like oversized ravens when they aren’t hunting. Otherwise they cannot hide what they are when they hunt at night.” She turned the book towards the men. The drawing of the creatures was terrifying in it’s own right. They were skeletally thin, with overly large, leathery wings. Hands and feet were clawed and Dean couldn’t help but compare their hair to Golum from the  _ Lord of the Rings _ . Their mouths were not human, but beaks with gnarled teeth that looked ready to rip flesh from bone.

“Have you seen them in person?” Sam asked, his fingers tracing the drawing.

Caeley nodded. “A long time ago, just once.”

“What could be keeping them here?” Dean asked, his green eyes watching the female carefully.

She opened her mouth to answer, but closed it again, cocking her head as she listened. “He’s here,” she said simply, turning back to her work table.

The men heard a car pull up and stop on the dirt drive, the engine cutting. As they tucked into their soup, Sam reading the book in front of him, they heard heavy boots as they came to a stop at the open front door. “Hello?” a male called. Sam watched as a change seemed to come over their new contact. When they had arrived, she had seemed open and welcoming, as if she knew that she was safe. Now, they could see the tension in every muscle. Everything about Caeley in that moment told them that they were in trouble right now.

The redhead messed with a leather bracelet as she slowly approached the door, caution heavy in every movement. “Good evening, it’s getting late for a drive,” she commented. “Can I help you? You are welcome to come inside.”

Sam gave up even the pretense of trying to read, listening from where he was. Neither he nor Dean were able to see out of the front door, the kitchen tucked into the house behind the door, but they could see how Caeley stood back several feet, not approaching the man any further.

“I was told that you could help me,” the man stated.

She nodded. “What are you looking for? I’ll do my best.”

Silence stretched, the man not answering. He also was not coming towards the door. Dean couldn’t help but reach for his gun. Something was wrong.

“My friend told me that I could come here for something to help her feel better.”

Caeley cocked her head, messing with her leather bracelet again. “It would be easier if I was able to meet your friend. I’ll better be able to tell what she needs. Can she come here?”

They heard the man chuckle. “She asked that I bring you to her, that it’d be the easiest way.”

The redhead gave a smile. “I’m sorry, I don’t leave my home unless it’s absolutely necessary. What does she need help with? You’re welcome to come inside so we can talk.” She gestured into the home, keeping her back to the hunters. She knew something was wrong and she would do everything she could to protect the people under her roof. Caeley did not want this man to know that the boys were here. She also knew something was wrong with the man as she looked at him. He should have seemed like an average man with his dark hair, dark eyes, and average height and weight, but something unsettled her. He stopped on the edge of her porch, and she could tell from her animals that they were not happy that this man was here. “What is your name?” she asked, fiddling with the leather bracelet again.

“She didn’t give me one. I used to have one. I don’t know what it was though. I lost it when she took me.”

The two men made to stand but with one look from Caeley’s glowing gaze, they found themselves trapped in their chairs, unable to move. They glared at the witch, pulling at the invisible bonds, but they were stuck fast. This triggered warning bells in every sense of the word. Was she like other witches they had encountered? Or was she different?

She turned her glowing blue eyes back to the man on her porch. “That’s something I should be able to help with, if you would like. Just come inside.”

“I… I can’t,” the man groaned, sounding pained. He reached for something on his back, pulling a gun. He didn’t give her any time before he shot off a round. But he didn’t count on the defenses she already had in place. A bright white barrier of light covered the female, stopping the bullet in its tracks. He didn’t seem to react to this though. “She said I could get you out of your home if you were knocked out, though.”

With the activation of the barrier, Sam and Dean were released from their seats. They automatically took their places just in front of the female, guns at the ready towards the man, who again, did not react to the changes.

“Sammy, isn’t that…?”

The man nodded. “That’s Logan O’Rourke. He died last week. His family buried him three days ago.”

Fiddling with her bracelet again, Caeley nodded. “That explains why he felt that he wasn’t able to come inside. The house is warded against any ill intent and most paranormal.”

“Is he a ghost, or is that his body?” Sam asked, keeping his gun trained on the man.

“One way to find out.” Dean pulled the trigger, the bullet landing straight between the dead man’s eyes.

Logan was knocked back off of the porch, his head flung back as the body landed heavily on the dirt driveway. He didn’t move as the three in the home froze, waiting for the next thing to happen.

“Did I kill him again?” Dean asked, lowering his gun but not far enough that he couldn’t take another shot quickly.

Sam moved to step out the door.   
  


“No!” Caeley cried, grabbing the back of his jacket. “I can’t protect you out there like I can in here. My charms end at the door.” Her blue eyes still blazed with power, but fear was the dominating emotion.

“Relax, kid. This isn’t our first rodeo,” Dean responded.

Sam gave her a small smile as he pulled her hand off of his coat. “Stay inside,” he told her.

The redhead watched fearfully, moving up towards the door but not crossing the threshold, her gaze never wavering from the boys as she fiddled with the same leather bracelet. Dean stood back with his gun trained on the downed man as Sam moved forward to check the body. Logan still hadn’t moved. The younger hunter kneeled, keeping a gun focused on the dead male, and pressed two fingers to his neck, seeking a pulse from the carotid.

“Nothing,” he announced.

He was just standing as a hand reached and grabbed the hunter’s wrist, knocking the gun free. Dean was unable to fire as the dead man was able to pull the Winchester down, blocking the shot. Caeley rushed forward, stopping on the edge of the porch, blue eyes burning as she watched in horror.

Dean clenched his jaw, feeling helpless as he watched his brother wrestle with Logan. He couldn’t risk shooting Sam.

It didn’t seem like anything Sam did fazed the dead man. The hits, the slams against the ground, anything he did Logan shook off and kept coming after him. The two of them rolled through the dirt, trading hits and blocking blows.

“Sam!” The female’s voice cut through the air. “Either pin him or let him pin you!”

Dean turned, wide eyed towards the witch. That was when he saw her eyes burning blue fire and white magic filling the air between her hands. His gaze moved back and forth, before deciding to trust the woman, just this once. “Do it, Sam!” he yelled. He didn’t know what else to do.

It was good timing as Sam’s back hit the dirt again, one of Logan’s hands pinning the center of his chest, the other pulled back in a fist. He closed his eyes and waited for the hit. He was surprised when he felt what seemed to be an explosion between him and the dead man. He groaned at the pressure on his ribs, pinning him further into the dirt. A blast of white light lifted the dead man and threw him several feet into the air, blasting him into the side of the house. Logan slid to the ground, dazed for a moment while it gave Caeley time to work her magic, eyes glowing as she trapped him within her power. Watching closely, Dean moved to help Sam off of the ground, brushing dirt away from his shoulders.

“You okay, Sammy?” he grumbled, tearing his eyes away from the dead man to check his brother.

The younger hunter winced. “He got a good shot to my shoulder.” He ignored the cut above his eyebrow, closing his eye to keep blood from getting in. “But I’m good. Thanks.” The two brothers moved to stand behind the witch, watching closely as she kept Logan pinned to the house.

“Do you have something to tie him up? I’m not sure what is keeping him functioning right now. I’m sure you may want to test for a demon, but I want him restrained before he enters my home. I don’t want him returning to his mistress.” She glanced back at the younger hunter. “I will make sure that you are healed; it’ll be my thanks for helping to protect me and my home.”

“She’ll find you! The Sluagh are coming!” Logan screamed, fighting against the magic holding him still.

Caeley’s heart froze in her chest. He had called them. They would be coming.

“Isn’t that the name we aren’t supposed to say?” Dean asked, tilting his head back at the woman.

“Yep.” Sam wiped a hand over his face, smearing blood. He popped the trunk of the Impala, pulling out the iron chains and a towel to wipe his face. He studiously ignored Caeley drawing back from them.

“We need to get inside. Now,” she ordered. Her eyes burned brighter as her hands moved. Using her abilities, she pulled Logan away from the house, keeping him still as the two men wrapped the chains tightly, binding the man so he wouldn’t be able to move. With that done, Caeley released her hold on him, wiping away the sweat on her forehead that had accumulated in her exertion.

Sam looked up as he picked up the feet of the struggling man, Dean managing the head and shoulders. “Do you have a devil’s trap?”

She nodded. “It’s under the rug in the center of the room.” She moved aside to allow the men through. The redhead hurried after them to pull a chair out from the dining table, allowing them to secure the man in the center of the trap. She stepped back as they tightened the chains, preventing the corpse from escaping. The woman watched as they grabbed salt from her stores of ingredients and holy water from their flasks. The bullet hole in the forehead didn’t bleed and the dead man didn’t seem to even realize it was there.

“Do you think this is Angela all over again?” Dean asked. He dumped his flask of holy water over Logan’s head with no reaction from the dead man.

“It could be,” Sam responded, pulling no reaction when he sliced the man’s forearm with a silver blade. “It would make sense.”

“Angela?” Caeley questioned. She leaned against her work table, out of the way of the two men working.

“She was part of a case we worked a couple of years ago. Her friend brought her back from the dead with a Greek ritual.” Dean shed the blazer from his suit, pulling the tie free as he threw the clothes over a chair, rolling up his sleeves. “Ever heard of something like that?”

Fiddling with her bracelets, Caeley nodded slowly. “The Irish have a goddess that is known for bringing people back from the dead, Airmid. The ritual is not widely known, though.”

Sam followed his brother’s actions, shedding the extra layers of clothes and rolling up his sleeves as he watched the dead man. He was surprised to see the man relax in the chains, but he continued to watch the witch like she was his prey. “Do you know the ritual?”

The redhead shook her head. “It’s in one of the grimoires, but I don’t personally know it.” She paused for a moment, looking between the brothers and the pair of leather bracelets on her wrists, her thoughts whirring quickly. “Give me your hands,” she told the brothers, loosening the knots holding the wrapped leather to her pale skin. She couldn’t help but notice how Sam did as she asked with no question as to what she was doing, but Dean held back. The witch gave a sad smile, shaking her head.

Sam watched with interest as he held out his arm for her. He was quiet as her gentle hands tied the leather strap around his wrist. Looking up at her, he noted the flush across her cheekbones. Was she embarrassed? Or was there something else going on? He was used to women being attracted to him, but if she was going to be a contact of theirs, he didn’t want to hurt her or burn that bridge. He couldn’t help but feel his own thrill of excitement as her fingers gently stroked the thin skin on his wrist, making sure that the leather band was secured. She pulled away, waiting for Dean to offer his wrist as Sam inspected what she had given him. It seemed simple enough: a braided leather bracelet with runes carved into the leather. Looking closer, he could see color differences in the leather. Each strand must have been soaked in different potions to create the spell.

“They are already marked for a barrier spell so no incantation is needed. You’ll need them.” She held the other band out for Dean. “Do you want to tie it yourself or do you want me to do it?”

Sam smiled until Dean scoffed. “I’m not putting some girly, witchy crap on my arm. Who knows what you’ve done to it.” He crossed his arms over his chest. He flinched as the younger Winchester nailed him with a hard punch to the shoulder. “What the hell?” he yelped, rubbing at the joint. “What was that for?” Sam gestured to their hostess.

Caeley seemed to have been struck with lightning, every muscle tense enough to have been turned to stone. Power burned in her eyes as she glared at the elder man, the leather band taught in her grip. “Fine,” she snapped. She held out the other band to Sam, who tucked it away in a pocket. “I’ll get the grimoire for you.” Her voice came out as a growl. Her power flared again as she gestured her hands toward Dean.

Sam watched in fascination as his brother was forced to walk into the kitchen, pick up a ladle, and stir the chowder, his head staring resolutely out the back window. “What the hell? Let me go!” he shouted. He was forced to go through the process of storing the soup for a later time.

The witch drew herself to her full height of five foot three. “I’ll trust you when you trust me. I can’t have someone I don’t trust seeing where I keep the grimoires. I don’t know what you would do with that kind of power in your hands.”

“You put yourself in this situation, Dean.” He smiled again at the sound of his brother grumbling to himself. Sam couldn’t help but be entertained by the turn of events as Caeley then untied her apron, rolling it into a blindfold that she tied around Logan’s eyes. The Winchester was surprised that the dead man let her do as she wished, but couldn’t help but wonder if this was part of the redhead’s power. He leaned against the work table, observing as she pulled on a bookshelf, rolling it away from the wall. Sam tilted his head, watching as another cabinet was revealed, set into the stone. This one was sealed both with magical and mundane means. Power flared again as Caeley traced symbols into the wood before pulling a key free from the multiple necklaces that she wore around her neck, unlocking the cabinet fully. The hunter was surprised to see at least a dozen books hidden in the compartment. Apparently the McDonough family had been collecting and hiding grimoires for a while. A thick, leather bound book was pulled free and the cabinet was secured and hidden before Caeley returned with the book.

Holding the ancient text to her chest, the Irish woman locked her gaze with Sam’s hazel eyes as she stood mere feet in front of him. “I must have your word. This book will not leave this house. You will not take anything from this book other than knowledge.”

Sam couldn’t help but raise his right hand as he gave his promise. He could tell that she was deathly serious about this. It made him wonder what else was in the pages of the book.

She jerked her chin towards the man in the kitchen. Dean had fallen silent and seemed intent on trying to break free from her grip. “Can I trust him?” she asked quietly. “He seems intent on not trusting me, but all I want to do is keep my town safe. To do that, I need to keep the two of you safe. I will not be able to do this on my own.” Her glowing gaze was pleading, her magic still active as she watched Sam. “I will keep him in the kitchen if I cannot trust him. He will not see what is in this book.” She gave a small smile all of a sudden, moving closer to the man, speaking even more quietly. “I’ll let you tell him that he would have been safe from me using my power against him in this way if he had taken the bracelet.”

Sam threw his head back in a laugh, and Caeley had that sudden rush at the sight of his bared throat again. She couldn’t help but wonder if he would have similar thoughts if she bared her throat to him. The blush crossed her cheekbones again at the thought. Sam looked back down at the small woman, knowing for sure this time that she was interested in him. He grinned at her, but couldn’t help but wonder if anything would come of her attraction or if this would be as far as it progressed. He pondered what she would look like, sprawled out beneath him or even towering above him as she rode him to her completion. He had to admit, he was interested as well, but he would not jeopardize the new working relationship.

“Dean’s fine. He’s just stuck in his ways and tends to be an ass about it,” he told her as he leaned against the workbench, propping his hands up on the edge.

Caeley’s mouth went dry at the sight of Sam at that moment. His button down shirt was still tucked into his black slacks, sleeves rolled up over his elbows, and it was tight enough to accentuate everything the man had to show. Her eyes danced up and down his figure, again feeling that urge to have the man pinned beneath her or towering over her. She was a switch and would happily give into what he wanted, though she was desperate in that moment to find out which way he preferred his women. She brought her eyes back to his, catching his smirk. He knew that she was checking him out and had let her continue until she had her fill. With how she was feeling at this moment, she didn’t know if she would ever have her fill of him. Her cheeks burned. How long had it been since she had a man between her thighs? She couldn’t remember, but it had been years. Sam was exactly what the witch doctor ordered.

Sam shook his head, smiling down at the witch. There was no harm in looking, so he let her. He raised an eyebrow as he caught her gaze again. “I’ll tell him later, but he’s good.”

Caeley nodded, the power dimming in her eyes as she straightened her spine. “Your brother has vouched for you,” she called over to Dean. “You should thank him.”

Dean spun towards the main living space as soon as he was released from her grip. “What gives, lady?” he growled out to her, his hands clenched into fists as he stalked towards her. He had to give it to her, though. The Irish woman didn’t even twitch as he stared down at her. She simply raised her chin to glare back at him. “What did I ever do to you?” he snapped.

“You don’t trust me,” she snapped back, taking a step towards the elder hunter.

Sam was surprised to see Dean take a step back from the woman for just a moment, before realizing what he had done. He stepped right back up, but the witch held her ground, the two of them nose to nose and green eyes meeting blue. “Of course I don’t trust you,” he snarled, “You’re a witch!” A sharp, harsh slap cut him off, his face suddenly turned the other way..

Caeley had hit him hard enough that her palm stung and a red mark was raising on the man’s cheek. “Enough.” The word came out with a tone of finality. “I’m done with you until you can show me some respect, at least in my own home.” With that, she turned to Sam who was watching the exchange wide eyed. “You will not be able to leave the home tonight. It won’t be safe. I do have enough lodging for you, and I believe that in my store of clothing, I have stuff that will fit you.”

“It’s not safe?” Sam asked. He tilted his head in confusion. Taking a leaf out of the redhead’s book, he ignored his fuming brother.

Dean didn’t know who to be more annoyed with: the woman or his brother. Sam did nothing to stop the woman; Sam almost seemed to be encouraging her behavior with how he ignored him. He unconsciously rubbed at the mark on his cheek. The woman definitely had some physical strength to match her magical power. He was going to be feeling that smack for a while.

She shook her head. Placing the book down on the workbench, her eyes glowed with power again. “I’ll show you, but do not step outside the house.” Her skirt wrapped her legs as she turned quickly towards the front door. The porch did not have a roof and in the darkness, she was able to make out the large forms in the trees. “They’re here,” she said simply. “While they have been focused on the heart-broken, they will not hesitate to come after us if we leave the home.”

Sam leaned against the door frame and listened as his brother came up behind him. They could make out the large ravens that surrounded the home. The Winchesters could see why Lizzy had stated that she didn’t like the birds as a deep sense of foreboding encapsulated the home. In a rush of wings, one of the birds landed on the front porch and when they stood, it was worse than looking at the picture in the book. Beady black eyes stared out from a gaunt face as the skeletal creature moved closer to the doorway when Caeley stepped in front of the boys, her eyes still glowing with power.

“Come with us, and we won’t kill the Winchesters,” the creature hissed, claws coming within inches of the witch’s face. The wings rustled, forming an overlong cape along his back that dragged on the ground.

Caeley shuddered before straightening her spine, crossing her arms across her chest as she faced down with the tortured soul in front of her. “You will not hurt me or mine, fae,” she ordered. “You will leave this town and move on.”

It tilted its head to an extreme angle, cracking heard from the decaying bones. “Cannot. Cannot leave,” it hissed. “She holds us.” Claws just touched the barrier around the home, causing white sparks to fly, startling the creature to jump back.

“Can you tell me where?” Caeley asked, her tone a bit softer. If she there was any chance that she could help put them to rest, she would do what she could to see them at peace.

The raven-like creature squawked before flapping its wings, returning to the giant raven-like form.

Caeley sighed, her hand coming up and rubbing at her eyes. “Come, Sam. I’ll take care of that cut and your shoulder, then I’ll help you get settled in for the night. They can’t do anything during the day, and they are blocked from this home. While they are here tonight, we can be sure that they aren’t hurting anyone else.”

Sam drew away from the door a moment later, but watched closely as Dean hovered in the opening. He sat down on a dining room chair that Caeley had placed next to her workbench. Her mood seemed to have settled now that she wasn’t dealing with his brother. The younger male observed as she ground ingredients and wandered off to the kitchen, returning with a damp towel. He tilted his head up, allowing her to clean the blood off of his face, inadvertently removing the scab that had formed on the long gash. The redhead hummed to herself, an Irish lullaby if he remembered correctly as she smeared the paste over the gash. She was gentle in her movements, the gash never even stinging as she cleaned him up and cared for the mark. She gave him a soft smile as she wrapped a linen bandage around his forehead, tying it off.

“Tape leaves marks. I hate the stuff,” she explained as she went to wash the bowl. “If you could please remove your shirt, I’ll take care of your shoulder.” She continued humming as she cleaned. She looked back over her shoulder, keeping an eye on Dean as he stood in the doorway, watching. “I’ll salt the doorways. That should help,” she called to Sam. She was being honest when she had told Dean that she was done with him. She’d keep an eye on him to make sure that he was safe, but otherwise she would pretend that he was another stone in the wall.

“Salt?” Sam asked.

Caeley dried the bowl. “From the research I have been able to complete, it is hard to differentiate the Underfolk from fae or spirits. To destroy them is similar to spirits, salting and burning their bones. They are also weak to iron and salt. Even though none of the entrances or windows are facing west, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.” She pulled out a tub of salt from under the sink. It was heavier rock salt that wouldn’t blow away as easily. She startled slightly when a hand came and picked up the tub. She was surprised to see Dean grabbing the salt and could only watch as he lined the doors and windows, shutting everything as he went. With that being taken care of, she was able to focus on taking care of Sam.

She had no idea how she did it, but she was able to keep her cool when she came around the corner to find Sam shirtless and looking through the grimoire she had left on the workbench. Her blood ran hot through her veins at the sight of the tall man, muscles working as he turned each page. Even the bandage wrapped around his head couldn’t detract from the fine specimen that was Sam Winchester. If she wasn’t careful, she would be panting after this man. “Let me see,” she said softly, gesturing to his left shoulder. The joint was already turning black and blue and she knew that he would need to be at full strength tomorrow. Caeley carefully manipulated the joint, pleased to see that he had no trouble with range of motion. “No pain, just tenderness?” she asked. Caeley smiled when he barely tore his attention from the leather bound book.

Caeley then turned to her ingredients. She would put in additives for his joint just in case, but she would focus on healing the bruising. The witch applied the thick paste to the entire joint, making sure to encase all of the bruising while also encompassing a thick border, just in case there was further bruising that hadn’t appeared yet. This was then wrapped in linen bandages. “Do you want a sling or do you think you can remember to take it easy tonight?”

Hazel eyes lifted from the book and he gave an easy smile to the witch. “I’ll be good,” he responded.

The woman nodded before turning to gather clothing for the two men. She stopped short and wide eyed as she nearly ran into Dean. She stared at him for a moment before moving around him, heading up the stairs to the loft.

Sam could feel his brother’s heavy gaze, causing him to look up from the grimoire. “Yes, Dean?”

“You should clean that stuff off you. Who knows what she put on you,” the elder brother growled out.

The younger Winchester sighed. “What do you have against her?” he asked, quietly. “She’s done nothing to us.”

Dean sighed this time, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the workbench. “I don’t get why you’re trusting her. She’s a witch.”

“Yes, she is. But we’ve met kind ghosts and nasty ones. We’ve met nice humans and cruel ones. Why can’t witches be the same?” He closed the book, his thumb holding his place. “She’s not asking for much, Dean. Just respect her in her own home. It’s not like we have a choice right now to trust her or not. We’re stuck here until the sun comes up. You read the research for yourself.” Sam opened the book again, absorbing the information kept on its ancient pages. He could understand why the McDonough clan had kept it locked away. There were some nasty spells and rituals in here. 

Dean could see the woman’s shadow against the walls as she had turned a light on in the loft. She was digging through a trunk, searching through bundles of cloth. He remembered that she had said something about having clothing on hand for the two of them. He also recalled that there were multiple beds up in the loft, so the three of them should be able to get some sleep. His gaze wandered back to the dead man in chains. He hadn’t moved in a while, not since Caeley had wrapped a blindfold on the man, instead remaining sagged in the chains. Prior to that, Logan had remained hyper focused on the resident witch. To be safe, Dean picked up the pail of rock salt again, creating a circle around the rug, outlining the devil’s trap underneath. He remembered the only thing that had stopped Angela was a silver stake through her chest, pinning her into her grave. Was the rite to raise Logan something similar? “Any ideas, Sammy? How do we get rid of him?”

Sam looked up from the book again. “Do you want to stick a silver knife in him, just in case? Otherwise, the only remedy could be killing…. I think Caeley had called her ‘his mistress’.”

“Yes, that’s what I called her,” the redhead confirmed. She reappeared from the loft with two bundles of clothing. She dropped them both on the workbench, leaving them for the men to grab. “That is typically the term used when someone is in the employ of a witch, to put it kindly. Familiars tend to use the term as well.” She turned, revealing that she had changed into a short linen nightgown, the fabric swirling about mid-thigh. Her hair had been released from its myriad of braids and beads, surrounding her face in untamed copper waves. Sam was pretty sure that her hair would be straight if it hadn’t been pinned up all day. Caeley drew his attention to the clothing for the moment. “These should fit you. There is a bath through the door if you would like to clean up. I don’t believe that our friend is going anywhere tonight.”

Sam gestured to the book in his hand. “I’ll be up reading for a while, if you two want to get some shut eye.”

Caeley nodded before stretching her arms towards the ceiling, unable to help a yawn. That had certainly caught Sam’s attention. The movement had brought the hem of her gown high enough to expose the bottom curve of her ass, revealing just the edge of her panties. He looked up through his eyelashes as the woman then wandered off towards the loft. “Good night, gentleman,” she called. He would have to be careful, as she already had his blood running hot for her.

The lights in the home dimmed and shut off, leaving a work light over the workbench on for Sam to read by. Lights were off in the loft as well, but Dean was certain that he could find a bed to fall into if he decided to sleep. “You up for this, Sammy?”

The younger man drew his attention from where the woman had disappeared and forced it back to his brother. “At least we have tonight to heal up. I’ll learn as much as I can from the grimoire, in case that is what we are looking for. Who knows what we’re looking at, but I don’t think that it’s a Greek spell this time. The town is too soaked in Irish history. Even the Underfolk are typically only found in Irish lore.” He turned his head back to Caeley’s bookshelves, eyeing the rows of books. “I wonder if she’d let me read all of the lore she has,” he pondered.

Dean chuckled. “Well, she seems to only have eyes for you,” he answered. He leaned against the workbench, crossing his arms over his chest.

His brother gave him a crooked grin. “That’s because you pissed her off so much, she doesn’t want to deal with you. She considers you a loose cannon.”

Dean sighed, staring at their captive, thinking over Sam’s words. Technically, he wasn’t wrong, and neither was Caeley. He had acted like an ass towards her for no reason other than the fact that she was a witch. He understood that she was protecting her own when he had been forced into the kitchen to put the soup away while she had retrieved the grimoire, he just really didn’t like it. Watching her coddle Sammy had been nice to see, even if he had no idea what she was actually doing. Dean turned his gaze to the now dark loft. The woman had fed them, clothed them, and had kept them safe. It was more than their father had done on occasion. He wondered what Bobby would make of it, or Cass. He needed to remember to call Bobby to confirm the witch’s story. He wanted to confirm that she was telling the truth. He shook his head, thinking how there was no better time than the present. He pulled out his phone, cycling through his contacts as he came across the current number for their long-time friend. His phone pressed to his ear as he waited through the ringing for the grumpy man to pick up the phone.

_ “What do you want?” _

“Well, hello to you too. Wanted to check in and see what you know about the current case.”

_ “Why? What’s going on with the case?” _

Dean dragged a hand over his face. “Turns out these things called the Sluagh are involved-”

_ “Why the hell did you just say that name? You idjit!” _

“Doesn’t matter. They already have the house surrounded. We’re bunking up with someone who says she knows you.”

_ “You found Caeley? You be good to her, you hear?” _

“She said she knew you, but we -” He cut himself off as Sam elbowed him in the ribs. “I wanted to make sure that she was telling the truth.”

_ “The girl can’t lie, she’s a truthsayer, and a good one at that. She’ll call you out faster than a swarm of flies on shit. She’s good at what she does. Just keep her safe for me.” _

“You trust her?” Dean was surprised. The old man didn’t trust anybody.

_ “She’s saved my ass more than once. I’ve known her since just after Karen. I swear, she gets younger every time I see her, though. Some of her magic has already saved your ass too. Where do you think I get the amulets and other protections?” _

“Those came from her? Why didn’t you tell us about her sooner?” Dean looked down at Sam who seemed to be listening to the conversation with half an ear. He rolled his eyes in frustration.

_ “You would have just hunted her down. There is a reason I don’t tell other hunters about her. It was another pair of hunters that told me about her. Now you’re the next ones in the line. No one else outside the three of us is to know about her. Like I said, you better keep her safe. Now, what do you want?” _

Just as Dean was about to talk, Sam plucked the phone from his grasp. He ignored his brother’s sputtering. “Hey, it’s Sam. Dean pissed off Caeley because he didn’t trust her. That’s why he’s calling you to make sure he can trust her.”

_ “Tell him he’s a dumbass for me. She’ll do anything to keep you two safe, so you better keep her safe. Tell your brother to pull his head out of his ass. If she gives you something, make sure you take it. Her intuition is spot on so if she’s trying to protect you, it’s for a reason.” _

“Can I have you repeat that to Dean? She’s already tried to give him something for protection and he insulted her instead.”

Bobby gave a cackling laugh on the other end of the line.  _ “I can imagine what she did in retaliation. Yeah, give him the phone back. I’ll tell him.” _

Sam watched Dean as he and the old man finished the conversation, seeing the frustration and annoyance across his brother’s face at Bobby’s warning. “If you say so. We’ll touch base after this is taken care of.” Dean hung up the phone, pocketing it. He stared at Logan chained to the chair. Seeing Sam move out of the corner of his eye, he looked to see what he was doing. He glared at the younger male as he held out the braided leather bracelet. “What are you holding on to that for?” he growled.

Sam grinned up at his brother. “She said it would have protected you from her immobilizing power and mind control. She wouldn’t have been able to force you into the kitchen.” He waited a moment, just holding out the bracelet. He wasn’t surprised to see Dean swipe the band from his hand, grumbling about witches as he struggled to tie it to his wrist. Sam would have offered to help him, but the book in his hand captured his attention again. Whomever had written this grimoire had come up with some horrible spells and rituals. It appeared that they had worshipped the gods and goddesses on the darker sides of things. He found mention of the Morrígan, Cailleach, Labraid, as well as others, and everything centered around the idea of death, dying, and killing. He shuddered at the idea of this grimoire being left out in the world. He couldn't help the thought of thanks to Caeley’s family for keeping it safe and out of sight. He also couldn’t help but think about what the Men of Letters would have done had they known about the collection of information here. While he would prefer to have the books brought to the bunker where they would be safe, he also understood that it would be a grievous insult to the McDonoughs and their work. He wondered if there was a way to have access to the works or if they had to remain in Scituate. Was there any chance of her setting up shop in the bunker? He shook his head, dismissing his wandering thoughts as he returned to the book in his hand, absorbing the words from the ancient pages.

Dean turned to observe the home more closely. He had never been in a witch’s home without it being destroyed, so he wanted to see what he could find. Maybe it would help with defeating other witches in the future. He started with her workbench. The shelves surrounding it were full of ingredients: plants, animal parts, and things he would never have guessed had parts in spells. Who knew that you would need separate containers of river water, spring water, and brook water? Weren’t they all the same? He then moved on to Caeley’s altar. Compared to some altars he had seen, this one was very clean, maintained, and felt peaceful. He noted symbols for several gods, which he assumed aligned with her previously mentioned gifts. She had said healing and protection, right? Offerings were at the base of each symbol, such as wine, food, or flowers. He could only start to ponder the things that they meant. He passed the hallway led to the bathroom and the stairs to the loft, leading to the several bookcases packed with books. When she had forced him into the kitchen, he could still hear what was going on, so he knew that behind the bookcases was her safe of grimoires, but beyond that, he had no idea how to access them. Dean wondered if Sam would be able to. The books that were available to him were noted to be of all ages, some bound, some manuscripts, and some journals. There were some with titles, but most were unmarked. He could see why his brother wanted to dive into the lore. He knew that McDonoughs had been around for a long time, so who knew what they had collected. The walls of the cottage then circled back to the front door, the dining table in the corner, the kitchen, and the back door. He had spent enough time in the kitchen and didn’t feel the need to return there anytime soon.

“Dude, go get some shut eye. I’ll be up for a while. If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll wake you up for second watch,” Sam chided him, not bothering to look up at the elder hunter.

Dean sighed, but knew his brother was right. He turned his attention to the pile of clothing left out for him. He really didn’t want to sleep in his suit. It looked like the woman had found some track pants and a t-shirt, comfortable enough to sleep in and they would be able to get their clothes from the Impala in the morning, when the Sluagh were unable to hurt them. Gathering the clothes, he headed to the bathroom to change then to get some sleep. “Don’t forget to wake me up,” he called to his brother.

“Will do.”


	2. Showdown

Dean jerked when he felt a hand shake his shoulder, his hand reaching automatically for the knife under his pillow.

“Dude, it’s me,” Sam hissed, trying not to wake up Caeley who was asleep across the loft. “Time for your watch.”

The older brother scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to wake himself up. “What time is it?” he asked. Sitting up at the edge of the bed, he shook his head.

“Just after three,” he answered. He had finally finished reading through the grimoire that was clutched in his hand. He didn’t want to leave it out just in case Logan broke out of the chains. The dead man had remained strangely still, as if he was actually dead. “Sunrise is about seven.”

“Should have woken me up earlier,” Dean grumbled. “You’ll get only a few hours of sleep now.”

“I just finished reading through the grimoire.” Sam sat down on the twin bed opposite of Dean’s. “The things in here, I can see why Caeley’s clan hid it away.”

“If the two of you are going to talk, did you want me to join or did you want to go downstairs? I’ll make coffee if you want me to join. Otherwise, go away.” The woman’s voice snapped from the bed across the loft. Both men jumped as if they had been shot, looking over to see her sit up. Her copper hair was slung over her shoulder where she had braided it back. Her blue eyes seemed to glow even in the dark as she stretched. “You two suck at being quiet,” she yawned.

The two brothers looked back at each other, then towards the witch again. “Get some rest, Caeley,” Sam said quietly. “We’ll talk in the morning.” He couldn’t help but be amused as the woman fell back into the sheets, a moan of pleasure as she sunk into the sheets again. Sam felt his blood run hot again at the sound, bringing back his thoughts from earlier. He couldn’t help but wonder what sort of sounds he could drag from her throat when he had her pinned beneath him. He couldn’t help but stare at her through the dark, the sight of her curling into the pillows made him wonder if she would curl up into him.

“I’m going to go find the coffee. You get some sleep. I’ll wake you both just before dawn so we can get ready.” Dean clapped Sam on the shoulder, gently pushing himself to lay down.

Sam smiled at his brother, then flopped back into the comfortable bed. He couldn’t help but think about the fact that they were so much better than motel beds. He knew then that if he was back in the area, he definitely would be back for the bed. He caught a glimpse of the witch across the way and couldn’t help but smile. He’d come back for her too.

Dean rummaged through the kitchen to find the coffee. He planned on extra strong and extra black to help him through the next several hours. He couldn’t help but call his brother an idiot in his head.  _ He should have woken me up over an hour ago.  _ Waiting for the coffee to brew, he turned and faced the open room. The light over the workbench was still on from Sam’s earlier studies, but it allowed him to see the dead man still slumped in the chains holding him to the chair. Ever since the witch had tied the blindfold on him, he hadn’t moved. Didn’t even look like he was breathing. Angela at least seemed to be breathing, and Logan appeared to be earlier. Did the person behind all of this pull her power back because she lost her pawn? Or was this part of Caeley’s power? He wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he wasn’t going to get any answers staring at the back of Logan’s head.

Letting the coffee brew, the hunter moved in on his quarry. Again, there was no reaction when Dean crossed the salt line. Curious, the man pulled the blindfold off. Logan’s head rolled with the motion, but when Dean looked at him, he noted that he didn’t look like he did earlier. It wasn’t like looking at someone alive, but somehow different. No. This was like looking at a several day old dead body. This is what Logan was supposed to look like. Dean could see the damage from the fall now, such as the flattened skull, broken limbs, even the broken spine from the way he was sitting in the chair. This was not the Logan that had been repaired and brought back.

“Hey, guys! You might want to get down here!” he called loudly. He knew that Sam would have just fallen asleep, but he wasn’t sure how Caeley would wake up. Thumps of two people getting to their feet and coming down the stairs answered his question.

“What’s going on?” Sam asked. He still clutched the grimoire in his hand. He felt nervous about just leaving it about the house for some reason. Caeley came down the stairs right after, nervousness waking her up faster than a strong black coffee.

_ What did I miss? Nothing seems out of place. They’re both safe. What did I miss? _ Her intuition had never steered her wrong before. What had happened that Dean had felt compelled to wake them both up? Seeing said hunter kneeling in front of their captive, she assumed that it had to do with him. Logan hadn’t moved, so she knew that he hadn’t gone anywhere. “What’s wrong?”

“He’s dead,” Dean answered, standing up.

Sam looked confused at the statement. “Yeah, we knew that.”

“I mean that he’s really dead. Look at him.”

Caeley kneeled down at Logan’s feet, a white glow coming to her hands as she ran her energy though the corpse. Looking up at his face, she saw what Dean meant. “He’s right,” she told Sam. “And I can’t sense anything here now, unlike earlier.”

“Do you think that your power did this? Or do you think that whomever is pulling the strings did this?” Sam asked. He didn’t need to touch the body to see what they meant. “And when did this happen? I was sitting right there.” He gestured to the chair that was still beside the work station.

The witch shook her head, dropping her hands into her lap. “Whatever was attached to the body didn’t belong there. It’s not like removing your soul or my spirit which would be messy, because everything is intertwined. It didn’t belong there so the body more readily gave it up. I’m assuming that you're referring to your Angela. From what it sounds like, at least part of her spirit was what came back, which is what made it so hard for the body to let go. Unlike a demon possession. A demon doesn’t want to let go of its host but it doesn't belong there, so the body will happily let it go. It's an invader. So when subjected to the right exorcism, it doesn’t do much damage to the human body, typically; there are always exceptions to the rules. But the demon doesn’t belong there, so the body lets it go without a fight.” She rocked back onto his heels, standing up. She tugged her nightgown down on her thighs. The woman wouldn’t normally care, but with how hot she was for the younger hunter, she couldn’t help but want to be a bit more modest. She didn’t want him to think badly about her.

“Makes sense,” Dean said. 

Sam ran his free hand through his hair. “Did you do this?” he asked the witch.

Caeley looked back down towards the broken corpse. “I don’t believe so, but I’m not one hundred percent certain. It’s possible that the barriers around the home cut off some of the power from his mistress so she decided to cut her losses, especially when I blindfolded him.” She fiddled with the end of her braid in thought. “You’ll have to let me know what you encounter.”

“You’ll see for yourself,” Dean stated, heading back to the kitchen for the coffee he had started earlier. “You’re coming with us.”

Sam was surprised to see the fear that flooded the woman. He couldn’t help but wonder why. He remembered earlier comments that she didn’t leave her home. He also remembered the comments from the fisherman they had encountered earlier. Could they be the reason that she didn’t leave?

“I don’t leave my home,” she countered. “I can provide the amulets and I’ve already given you protection from some of the spells.” She waved a hand at the leather bracelets the men both sported now.

“You’ll be better able to provide insight when you see what we’re up against. The intuition through your gifts is limited in that regard. You only are aware of what will affect those in the immediate vicinity to you,” Sam countered. “Plus, she wants you for some reason. Maybe the Sluagh will be able to guide us where to take you. That’ll keep us from bumbling around until we find a clue.”

“You’ll be better able to protect us and this town,” Dean finally told her, handing her a mug of black coffee. “Since you’re so intent on that.” He turned his back on her to pass a mug to Sam.

“I don’t think you understand. I haven’t left my home in well over a decade. I don’t leave my home. People don’t react well when they see me.” Caeley wrung her hands together, having put the coffee mug down on the workbench.

“How do you go shopping?” Dean asked.

The redhead rolled her eyes. “Have you ever heard of Peapod? Or InstaCart? Even pharmacies deliver now. And Amazon is amazing.”

“Caeley, what happened to you?” Sam asked softly. He took a seat in the chair beside her. He didn’t want to stand over her while prying into her life. He deposited the grimoire on the workbench.

Dean watched as the woman was ready to claw herself out of her skin at the mere thought of leaving her home.

“Do you want to hear about the time that they tried to drown me? Or shoot me? Hang me? Or tried to chase me out of town? I’ve been around for a while and while they’ve stopped trying to kill me on sight, they don’t get any nicer about it.” Her blue eyes burned into the two men as she talked with her hands, her gestures growing with her agitation. “Humans don’t react kindly to anything different then them. Just look at how you reacted to me last night. I’ve never hurt anyone, but because I’m a witch, people have decided that I’m going to steal their children, or curse them, or be the one to blame when things go wrong.” Caeley shook her head almost violently, as if trying to shake the memories loose. “Even if they have never seen me before, they seem to know that I’m different and that alone makes them wary of me. So if they don’t want to see me unless they need me? Fine. They don’t have to.” She waved a careless hand around at her home. “They want to pretend I don’t exist until they have a need for me. Fine. Until then, I protect my community the best I can. I help Bobby protect hunters like you. I care for my chickens and goats. I’m even looking into getting a couple of pigs. I’ll have a whole farm out here that I can enjoy by myself and everyone else can ignore the fact that I exist until they have a need for me.” When had she started crying? She wasn’t sure, but she was over eighty years old, too old for that shit to be happening. She swiped an angry hand over her eyes, dashing the tears away. “You want to know why I don’t leave my home? That’s why.”

Even Dean’s shriveled heart felt something for the woman. While he had hunted monsters for most of his life, he had never been hunted by his own kind (unless you counted the FBI, but that was because he actually did the stuff that they were accusing him of) for the fact that he simply existed. He understood better why she had not backed down from him last night. He also understood why she had fought so much for respect in her own home.

“You’re not going out alone this time,” Sam told her quietly, leaning his elbows on his knees. “You’ll be with us and you will not be powerless. We are going to find this person who threatened your town and stop them. That’s all we're asking you to do. We can’t do this without your help.” He looked up, blue meeting hazel as she searched his gaze.

There was no lie in his words, she knew that. She knew that at least Sam would protect her, and looking across the room at Dean, she had a feeling that he would as well. Looking back at the younger brother, she could see his eagerness to have her involved. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was interested in her as well, but she had to put that out of her mind. Caeley knew that these men were the type to not let her fight the battle alone. Maybe she was twisting her own feelings to see what she wanted to see, versus what was actually there. She looked up at the ceiling, trying to tamp down her feelings. She needed to do something, anything, to keep her mind busy. That would make the fear go away. Thinking quickly, she turned and pulled a drawer out from the workbench.

“What are you doing?” Dean asked, confused when she pulled out a mirror.

Blue eyes met green. “I’m going to try and hunt down this woman who gives witches a bad name.” She moved to kneel in the salt circle, placing the circular mirror on the ground between herself and the dead body. “No matter how cleanly a witch performs her spells, our magic always leaves a mark, like a fingerprint. Even though she has pulled her power from Logan, I should still be able to find the mark it left behind.” She glanced at the two men. “Please stay out of the circle and don’t distract me.”

The two men watched as Caeley’s eyes began to glow fiercely and white magic crept from her hands, circling her fingers before she pressed them into the rug. From there the magic started to weave around the dead man, eventually looking like he had been caught in a dense fog. The room was so still and quiet that the Latin she whispered seemed to echo and ring. “ _ Ostende mihi illum quem quaero _ .” The boys both shivered at the feel of power behind the scrying. The mirror on the floor in front of her glowed and the picture swirled. The men saw the picture twist and slowly settle. It looked like a large cabin that was surrounded by thick woods. “I see you,” Caeley sang out, a dark smile pulling at her lips.

“Do you know where that is?” Dean asked, stopping at the edge of the circle to try and see better through the mirror.

“Off of Route 3A, there is a large wooded area. It gets quite dense in parts.” The witch stood up as her power faded away. “We’ll have to hike it, but we should be able to leave the car at the gun club nearby. My membership should get us in.”

For some reason, this surprised the men. “You carry?” Sam asked. He couldn’t see the woman with a gun, not with the amount of power she carried.

Caeley met his gaze with a smile. “I’m a single woman, living alone, in the middle of a conservation area. People have tried to kill me several times. Why wouldn’t I carry a gun? I’ve carried my entire life, so had my mother and grandmother.”

“So, you are coming with us.” Dean said it as a statement, not a question.

The smile that the redhead gave him could have been seen as either a warning or a greeting. “It’s not like you are giving me much of an option.”   
  


Dean smiled back. “Come on, Cae. We’ll make it worth your while.” He shook his head at the woman’s disbelieving exclamation as she headed upstairs. He looked over at his brother who was watching the witch disappear. He raised an eyebrow but decided to file that information away for a later date. “You should catch an hour or two of sleep before we have to leave.”

Sam took a second to compute what his brother had said before nodding. “Yeah, probably should.” He ran a hand through his hair, making sure not to mess with the bandage still wrapped around his head. He meandered up the stairs back to the bed that he had previously fallen into. He sunk into the mattress, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Are you going to be able to sleep?” a soft female voice interrupted his moment of silence.

He opened his eyes and focused on the woman who was sitting on the edge of his bed now. She was close enough that he could feel her body heat through the sweatpants she had lent him. Sam couldn’t help but return to his earlier thoughts at the feeling. What would it be like to have the witch at his mercy? Was she loud in bed or would he have to coax the sounds out of her? Would she fall into him or would she try to top him, making her surrender all the sweeter?

“Sam?” Caeley asked. Her head tilted in question. The man had stared at her for several moments. Unable to help herself, she gently brushed his hair back from his face. Her cheeks flushed at the sight of the male’s eyes fluttering closed and his breath shuddering slightly on the inhale. That solidified it in her mind. The male was as drawn to her as she was to him. Working to keep her face neutral, she decided that she’d have to find a way to separate the two brothers long enough to have her wicked way with the younger male. It had been a long time since her blood had boiled this hot.

The younger Winchester forced himself to remember what her question was. “I’m going to try,” he answered with a soft chuckle. He couldn’t help but feel pleased when her fingers continued to comb through his hair. “Unfortunately, I’m a little wound up at the moment,” he told her honestly.

The Irish woman took a deep breath to steady herself. “I can help if you would like,” she informed him, so quietly that she could barely hear herself.

“In what way?” he asked. He sat up on his elbow, bringing their faces closer together. He kept his voice low as well. He didn’t want Dean to overhear this. He had kicked up enough of a fuss when she had treated his wounds.

“It would be just a bit of magic, just enough to help you fall asleep and to help you feel more rested when you wake up. We only have a couple of hours until we can leave. Will you let me?”

Her blue eyes seemed to burn into him. Again, he felt that feeling of being at home and being safe, but he was realizing that it was more to do with her than the home itself. Giving her a small nod, he told her that it was okay. Sam could see the glow in her eyes again as she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead, the direct contact allowing her to bypass her own wards. Immediately, his eyes fell closed and he knew no more.

With careful hands, Caeley helped the young man curl into his bed for the night. She made sure that the bindings on his injuries were still tight enough, but let him rest as she covered him. The witch couldn’t help but run her fingers through his hair again. Her thoughts jumped right back into the gutter as she wondered if he liked his hair pulled. She would love to have it twisted around her fingers as they worked to bring each other pleasure. Caeley gave one more sigh before moving down the stairs to join the older brother. She remembered to grab a robe, the reason she had gone upstairs in the first place.

“Any other information you can give us about this bitch?” Dean asked, digging into the leftover clam chowder and coffee.

The woman was going to enjoy being able to converse with the man peacefully as long as she could. “She’s a black witch, older than I am. As far as I can tell, she was alone in the cabin. She wants something to do with me, but I’m not sure what.” Caeley retrieved her cup of coffee before joining the man at the table, sitting across from him to give him plenty of room. “In case it’s the fact that she’s looking for something that I happen to have possession of, I’m going to seal the house. No one will be able to enter until I break the seal, or upon my death.” She looked up at the man, catching his gaze. “Can I ask you to do something for me if I do die?”

Dean stopped eating for a moment, watching the woman. He didn’t really want to do what she wanted, no matter what it was, but he was realizing that it was more because of his prejudices of her being a witch than who she was as a person. “Depends on what it is,” he stated.

“If I die, I want you and Sam to get all of the lore and grimoires out of here and keep them safe. There is some dark magic in those books and if I can avoid them being loose in the world again, I’ll do whatever I have to.” She looked down into her coffee as if it would give her all of the answers in the world. “I don’t have a child to pass everything on to, though I’m still young. My mother didn’t have me until she was well over two hundred,” she added, explaining the longevity of her family. “My grandmother was born in the 1680’s but didn’t live to see four hundred. Mother didn’t live to see three hundred. The longevity of my family is shortening, but I can’t see my family’s work go to waste.” Her blue eyes met green as the hunter watched her. “Is that something you can do for me?”

The Winchester watched her for a moment. Was that all she wanted? “That’s fine. Sammy was already wondering if there was a way to copy your lore for our collection.”

Caeley nodded, giving him a sad smile. “I can’t imagine the things you have seen and the information you have collected.” She sighed, her gaze turning to the ceiling. “I’d love a chance to wander your library.”

Dean shook his head. “I don’t know how Sam can spend hours in there. I can’t concentrate that long.” His laughter was self-deprecating.

The witch giggled into her coffee. “It takes the right kind of mind frame,” she told him. She watched him for a moment. She could see the hard lines that made up the Winchester. The tension in his shoulders and jaw was obvious. He seemed like someone who would rather be doing something physical than mental. “So, I’m assuming that while your brother handles the research, you're the one who goes in and takes down the monster.”

The Winchester rolled his eyes at the woman. Of course she would pick up on his character right away. Taking a drink, he changed the topic. “You were saying these monsters go after the ‘broken-hearted’. What does that mean?”

The redhead took another sip of her coffee then held it between her hands. “It refers to the emotional state. You’ll hear it typically in response to a break up, like poor Hollie. But you can have that feeling with many different things, such as after a fight, missing a loved one, or wishing you had someone to spend time with.”

The hunter nodded. “So like the case with Sean. He and Lizzy had a fight and she had walked away. Logan’s wife is in Afghanistan. And Abigail wasn’t with anyone.”

Caeley nodded. “Having a broken heart doesn’t require a relationship.” She gestured towards the work table where they had the earlier conversation. “Talking about why I don’t leave my house could have been considered my heart being broken. You’ll also sometimes hear it as having a broken spirit. The Underfolk can’t always differentiate the two. But you are also only vulnerable to them during the time you are experiencing the feelings.” She gestured towards the west side of the home. “If you can cover the windows and doors to the west and stay inside at night, you are safe from them. They can get through closed windows, but they don’t know where you are if they can’t see you. They can’t see you, they can’t get you.”

“I can see what you meant about how if prey becomes wise, it no longer becomes prey. What if we could tell the town how to protect themselves?”

The witch gave him a dry look. “How has it worked out for you in the past, telling the people you are trying to protect what’s going on?”

Dean laughed lowly, reaching for the whiskey that was still out on the table, adding some to his coffee. “I see what you mean. That’s why you didn’t go and get Hollie.”

A long, drawn out sigh echoed through the room as Caeley leaned back in her chair, her gaze on the ceiling. “I wish every moment that I had gone to go get her. I keep asking myself, ‘what if she had believed me’. I even would have kept her here as long as she wanted to stay, even with the baby. I would have helped make her safe, no matter what it took.”

“You’re lonely.”

The statement shocked her, her gaze meeting his. She didn’t expect him to be so insightful, not after how this evening had been proceeding. “Humans are social creatures,” she told him. Caeley stared into her coffee as if the secrets of the universe were there. “You two are the first visitors I’ve had in a very long time.” She gave a sad smile, reminding the hunter of their conversation of broken hearts. “I haven’t had anyone since my mother’s passing, but she went so quickly after my grandmother. I lost them both in my twenties.”

Dean nodded. “Sixty years alone,” he murmured. He couldn’t imagine it. “Why haven’t you joined a coven?” He couldn’t believe that he was asking this, but for some reason, he wanted to know. He also had nothing better to do while they waited for the sun to rise.

Caeley laughed again. “There are not very many white witches, as I’m sure you know. Outside of my family, I’ve never met another one. I would rather be alone than be involved with black magic.”

The male nodded, giving her a smile of his own. He picked up the bottle of whiskey and poured some into her coffee. “Drink with me,” he told her.

She shook her head as she giggled. She could see why women would fall over themselves for him. Too bad for him that her blood ran hot for his younger brother. The darker part of her desires couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if she took both of them to bed. She hid her blush behind a sip of her coffee. “So, tell me stories. We have nothing better to do.” Her smile broadened as he laughed.

As the horizon started to lighten, Caeley wandered upstairs to wake her sleeping guest. She hoped he had slept well and she wanted to make sure. Dean had decided to watch the large ravens that still hovered outside the home.

She found the younger Winchester in the same position he had been placed a couple of hours ago. Sitting down at the edge of the bed, she gently threaded her fingers through his hair again. He didn’t react, but she didn’t expect him to. The magic she had woven had allowed him to sleep deeply and with the stories that she had heard from Dean, she wasn’t surprised that he hadn’t been sleeping well. Her eyes glowed with power as she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his temple, gently pulling him out of sleep.

It had been a long time since Sam had felt like this. He felt warm, rested, safe, and a gentle hand was running through his hair. Hazel eyes slowly opened to find their hostess sitting on the side of the bed. He could feel her body heat through his clothing and bed clothes. He pushed himself up on an elbow and his gaze met hers, their faces close together as she hadn’t pulled away. He couldn’t help leaning into her touch, enjoying the quiet show of affection.

Caeley had to take steadying breath, her hand tightening in his hair. “Don’t give me hope if you don’t mean it,” she murmured.

He didn’t say anything as he brought his free hand to brush along her cheek. He could feel the heat of her blush and rush of her breath. Unable to help himself, he buried his fingers into the hair at the back of her head. It was softer than he could have imagined. Sam wasn’t sure if it was because he had just woken up or if the heat in his blood was taking over. “This isn’t your magic, right? This is something?” He had to ask. He had been affected by love spells before and didn't want this time to be like that.

His voice was low and husky, both soothing her and lighting her nerves on fire. Caeley shook her head in his grasp. “No magic,” she assured him. “I’ve felt it since you arrived.”

With a groan, Sam pulled her down, lips meeting for the first time. He swallowed her gasp as she opened up to him with no fight. Her hands fisted the locks of his hair, pulling ever so slightly, changing the angle to better serve her. The hunter couldn’t help the grin, glad he had been right in one of his earlier assessments. She would try to top him, but he would show her how good it could be below him. They just had to get through this case first. Their lips met once, then twice more before he let her go. He watched as she licked at her lips, catching the last of his taste, and couldn’t help but want to go in for more, but he somehow managed to restrain himself. “After we gank this witch, we see where this goes,” he told her.

Caeley’s eyes were barely open as she nodded, her nose brushing his. “I’ll hold you to that.” She moved and pressed another chaste kiss to his lips, unable to help herself. “Your brother is watching the sunrise. As soon as the sun covers the yard, it’ll be safe for you to go to the car. There is coffee made, milk in the fridge and sugar on the counter. I’m going to get dressed and I’ll be down to check your injuries.” It took more effort than she ever thought it would to pull away from the tall man to walk her dresser. No linen dress for her today. She wouldn’t be able to protect the men in her long skirts. The walk in the woods would be harder as well.

Sam couldn’t help but watch the woman walk away from him. He was tempted to watch her change but he wasn’t sure if he would be able to tamp down on his desires if he did. He stretched and headed downstairs. He could feel her eyes follow him, making him glad he hadn’t bothered putting a shirt on over his wrapped shoulder. He tried to hide his grin before his brother caught it. “Morning,” he called.

Dean turned around, his eyes meeting the younger hunter’s. “You look remarkably well rested for only sleeping a couple hours.” He turned his gaze back to the overly large birds.

“The beds are comfortable.” He yawned, ruffling his hair on the back of his head. “Caeley said there was coffee.”

Dean gestured with his head back towards the kitchen. “I just made a pot.” He couldn’t help but smile. “The witch and I drank the last one with whiskey.”

Sam scoffed as he headed to pour himself a cup, easily finding the milk and sugar she had mentioned. “So all it took was sharing a couple of drinks to make you like her?”

“I got to know her better.” He shut the door to the outside, blocking the view of the fae. “She asked us to do something if she dies.” His voice was low as he joined his brother in the kitchen.

Sam nearly dropped his cup at the idea. Caeley? Dead? “Does she think that this is going to go poorly?”

This stopped Dean. He hadn’t thought of that. “I don’t think so.” He hadn’t gotten that vibe from her. “I think she’s just covering her bases. She asked that if she dies, we get all of the books and grimoires out of here. Keep ‘em safe.”

Sam gave a nod, turning his gaze to the coffee. He didn’t want to think about not getting the chance to get to know the Irish witch better.

“I’m going to do my best to keep you two safe and keep myself alive. I don’t want to leave Dean looking after my poor goats.” The female voice came as a laugh. Boots were heard coming down the stairs and they were met with a very different looking witch. Caeley had a long-sleeved white shirt under a soft leather jacket that came down to the top of her thighs. A belt held up skinny jeans that were tucked into knee high boots. Her hair was loose and flowing down her back at the moment, showing off it’s full length as it fell to her hips. “I’m not sure he would survive the experience.” The comment made his brother sputter and the two others laugh.

“Come here, Sam. I’ll take a look at those injuries before I do my hair. Don’t want to risk it getting grabbed.”

Sam grabbed his coffee, setting it down on the workbench as he sat down in the chair that had been left there. Gentle hands unwrapped the linen around his head as he watched Dean approach, always being the big brother having to keep an eye on his little brother.

Caeley pulled the last of the cloth away to find clean skin and no mark remaining. “Looks good there. Now, let’s see the shoulder.” Out of habit and only mildly paying attention, she grasped his hand and let it rest on her hip. “Keep it there and out of my way as I unwrap this.” She realized what she had done when his grip tightened, holding her solidly in his large hand.

Dean raised an eyebrow as he watched the two interact. He could see the way his brother watched the female closely and how the female moved around him. He knew attraction when he saw it and these two were attracted to each other. He would keep an eye on the situation, but he was pretty sure that these two would fall into bed together pretty quickly. At least he knew that the woman would take care of his brother.

The witch unwrapped the linen that had been keeping the hunter’s shoulder still for it to heal. She was glad to find that the bruising was gone and he had full motion. “No pain?” She watched how he stretched out the joint, trying not to think about how much she missed the weight of his hand on her hip.

The elder brother was pleased to see that he had been ignored this time, as his brother was perfectly healed from the Irish woman’s concoctions. He couldn’t help but wonder if the witch would contemplate moving to the bunker and setting up shop there. It would be much easier working with her than the bitch Rowena. He wasn’t sure what they would do with her goats and chickens though.

Caeley nodded, glad to see her cures had worked. She passed her altar, gently touching each symbol. She passed her thanks on to Brighid, Diancecht, and Airmid for the gifts of healing and herbs. Her hands then moved to her hair, dividing it into sections. Above each ear, two french braids were held taught by metal beads inscribed with runes and stones. She put another, larger french braid down the top of her head, threaded with ribbons and more beads as she laced the smaller braids into it, ending up with one large braid that was tied off with a braided leather tie that had the same spell as she had given the men. Using several pins, she pulled the braid up into a bun to keep it out of the way.

“Why not cut it?” Sam’s voice broke her out of her concentration.

She grinned. “I’d rather not have my maimeó come back from the grave to haunt me.”

The tall man cocked his head to the side and Caeley couldn’t help but think how adorable he looked at the moment. “Maimeó?”

The witch nodded before meandering towards the back door. “My grandmother. She spoke exclusively Gaelic, much to the annoyance of our visitors.” She peeked out the back windows, seeing how the sun had risen. “It should be safe for you to get to your car. I have to take care of the animals and we’ll be able to go. The gun range opens at eight o’clock and we’ll be able to leave the car there to hike to the cabin. Just be warned, she’s expecting us.” She ducked out the back door taking in the sight of the chicken coop and the goat shed. The redhead opened the goat shed, releasing her six girls. “Good morning, ladies!” she greeted. They would wander the area and they always seemed to respect where the barriers were and would stay near the home. She moved on to the chicken coop. As always, her rooster was the first one out, happy to tell her about his unhappiness of being cooped up all night. “I know, Freddie. But it’s safer for you,” she told him, a dozen hens heading out after him. She used the opportunity to gather the eggs, placing them in the basket she had left outside the door. Caeley was pleased to see there were six eggs for her to gather. “Thank you, ladies!” she called after the chickens. After spreading out their feed and making sure their water was clean, she headed back inside.

Caeley was glad to see the two men were dressed, as much as she loved to watch Sam move about her home while shirtless. It would have been distracting during the showdown with the dark witch. “Feel better, gentlemen?” She tucked the eggs into the case in the fridge. They seemed much more comfortable in their jeans and plaid shirts versus the suits they had been sporting yesterday.

“This is how we live, sweetheart,” Dean called. He pulled a gun out of the bag on the dining room table, making sure that it was clean and working.

The witch raised an eyebrow at the pet name, but couldn’t help the happy feeling in her heart upon hearing it. She glanced at Sam and was glad to see him smiling at his brother’s back. She shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. “Alright, I’ve never done this hunting thing before. What do I need to know?”

“Let’s start simple, what do you have for guns?” Dean put down the pistol that he was working with. Once he knew what she had, it would be easier to make sure she was prepared. They didn’t have time to train her, but she was powerful enough in her own right that a quick run down should keep her safe.

The two men watched as Caeley approached one of the bookcases. It appeared this was like the one that hid her grimoires. Pulling it forward on the wheels, a large safe was exposed. It was locked in a similar way: with both magic and a physical lock. Opening it, the men were surprised to see the variety of things locked away. There were papers, jewelry, money, and what they were most interested at the moment: guns. She had several rifles, handguns, and several older guns that had most likely belonged to the family through the years. She pulled out two handguns and a smaller gun. She also brought out a double shoulder holster and an ankle holster. “Alright, sirs. What can we do with these? I feel it would be odd if I showed up carrying a rifle.”

The hunters quickly examined the three guns she had pulled out, glad to see that they were in perfect order and well cleaned. Dean handed them back to her. “We have special bullets that’ll fit your two 9mm. They’re called ‘witch-killing bullets’. They’re filled with a special potion that kills witches.” He held out a hand full of the bullets, offering them to her.

Caeley staggered back, tripping over her own feet in her effort to get away. Her face was white with fear as she landed on the carpet next to the dead body. Her hands were held up to try and protect herself. “Keep those away from me,” she cried out, her voice trembling.

Sam hung his head, rubbing at his forehead in frustration. “You’re an idiot,” he told his brother. “She’s not going to be able to touch them.” He pushed himself away from the table, heading over towards the woman. “Hey,” he said softly. Dean had drawn his hand back, but Caeley was still focused on him as if he held a gun to her head. “We’ll load your guns for you. You won’t have to touch them.” He tried to sooth her, but her breathing was still harsh and he could see her pulse pounding in her neck. “Hey,” the younger hunter called again. He sat down on the rug next to her and brought his hand up to her face, gently forcing her to look at him. Her eyes were wide and he could see the irises beginning to glow with her power. “Caeley.” He called her name a little louder and more forcefully, finally bringing her attention to him.

Her heart pounded in her chest. There was nothing she could about these bullets. They weren’t like the ones that Logan had attempted to shoot her with. These would kill her. She focused on Sam. He would keep her safe. He had promised and her gift told him that he wasn’t lying. “Sam,” she murmured, swallowing hard on the lump in her throat. “Were you carrying these when you came to find me?”

“We were. We didn’t know you. We weren’t sure if you were the one hurting people.” Sam ran a hand through his hair. “We wanted to be safe rather than sorry.”

Caeley nodded. She was starting to realize how dangerous it was to be a hunter. Between Dean’s stories last night and what she had seen in the last twelve hours, it was no wonder that these two men were so rough around the edges. She wanted to help them and felt a pull to do what she could to keep them safe. Her breathing was shaky but slowing down. “Okay,” she breathed. She nodded again, trying to force a positive frame of mind. All she had to do was stop her hands from shaking.

Sam could see her attempting to stand again so he quickly reached to help her. Once she was back on her feet, she shook herself and took a deep breath. She touched a few of the beads in her hair, a glow coming to her eyes as she pulled on the power of the engraved runes. He could see the change come over her. The witch became the graceful, capable woman they had seen earlier.

Dean nodded, seeing her pull herself back together. He picked up her guns and loaded them up himself. He also moved to her safe, finding additional clips and filled those as well. She would have to make due with normal bullets for her ankle piece. “There you go. You’re all set. Let’s get loaded up and head out.”

Caeley nodded, feeling much more comfortable now that the bullets were loaded and she had no contact with them. She slipped off her leather jacket to pull on her shoulder holster. Sam was surprised to see Dean step up to make sure that it was fitting properly and wouldn’t be noticed under the jacket. As the two of them finished reading themselves, he loaded himself up. He couldn’t help but cast an appreciating eye as the witch bent over at the waist to put on the ankle holster, tucking away the Colt Mustang XSP. She did have a nice ass.

Still bent over, Caeley looked past her leg at the current object of her affections. She could see the lust that flooded his eyes. She gave him a smile when she caught his eye. She had leered him earlier, it was his turn now. She tied her boot back up and pushed herself to standing. “Ready?” she asked her house guests.

As soon as they were out of the home, Caeley turned back to the stone cottage. Another wave of fear spread through her. Unable to help it, she brushed her fingers over the amethyst necklace she wore, her magic lessening her anxiety. Taking a deep breath, she placed her hands over tiny runes carved into the stones that sat on either side of the closed door. Drawing on the magic that ran through her blood and the earth, power flooded from her hands to cover the home. She called on the goddess Durantia to protect her home from intruders and to protect her land. As her power faded, she turned to see the boys standing by the gorgeous Impala, as well as the flock of ravens. Caeley straightened her spine and faced down the fae that surrounded her home. She nodded to them and watched as they took flight. They would let their mistress know that the three of them were coming.

“Figured it would be easier for you to sit in the back, sweetheart,” Dean said, opening the door for the woman.

The Irish woman gave a soft smile. “Much appreciated.”

Settling in the back seat of the car, the boys slid in the front and the car rumbled to a start. Watching the men, she could see how comfortable they were in this car. She had a feeling that the car was more of a home to them than anywhere else. She guided them through the familiar streets, the drive not very long until they pulled into the gun range. The place was quiet though they could see someone moving about in the office. Sam was kind enough to open the back door for Caeley, limiting the amount of exposure she had to iron.

“Are you two ready?” she asked in a low voice. At the sound of two affirmative answers, she straightened both her jacket and her spine. These men were counting on her to keep them safe and to keep the town safe. Without her, this wouldn’t work. Ahead, she could see the Sluagh were waiting to guide them. “She’s waiting for us.” The massive ravens watched carefully, each one tall enough to come up to her thigh. As she entered the forest and led the way to the cabin, Caeley prayed. She prayed to gods she had never prayed to before, but hoped beyond hope that they heard her pleas. She whispered the names of Camalus, Babd Catha, Macha, and Morrigan. She asked that they support her in protecting her town and these two men against someone that would twist souls into the vile fae that now lead them deeper into the forest. Her fingers brushed against her onyx ring that she had slid over her thumb, and fiddled with a bracelet her grandmother had made centuries ago that she only brought out for dire occasions. The polished stones did not appear to go together at all: smokey quartz, amethyst, black obsidian, black tourmaline, fire agate, tourmalinated quartz, jet stone, jasper, and fluorite. Each stone powerful enough to enhance protection on their own, but together would help boost her abilities, help ground her, and boost her intuition. She had brought out the big guns for this match.

Sam watched the female closely as she led the way, his brother right on his heels. He could hear her whispers but most of it seemed to be in Gaelic, not allowing him to understand what was being said.

“What is she doing?”

Dean’s voice almost caused him to jump, making him realize how silent the forest was other than the Sluagh, Caeley’s whispers, and their own footsteps. “I’m not sure,” he murmured back, not wanting to interrupt the woman. “I think she’s praying.”

That news only helped the older hunter grow more nervous, though he wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because any witch who prayed usually led to trouble for them. He gripped his shotgun full of salt tighter. “Any idea what she’s asking for?”

Sam shook his head. He had the feeling that now was not the time to ask. The two fell quiet again as they continued to walk. It wasn’t long before Caeley stopped them with a hand up. The fae that had surrounded them all flew ahead, and they could hear a woman’s voice calling. “Welcome, my dear.” The voice was almost singing in its cadence, wrapping around the three of them like a lullabye. Sam couldn’t help but be distracted by white sparks flaring to life around them, Caeley’s power responding to protect them from the influence of the black witch.

“What is going on?” Dean tensed and automatically stepped closer to his brother.

“She’s trying to get us under her spell,” Caeley stated. She turned and took one last look at the two hunters. This was it. It was coming down to this. She gave herself two seconds and two seconds only. She took a deep breath and drew all of the power that she had at her disposal. Her eyes glowed with power as she stepped forward.

As the Irish witch entered the clearing, she came face to face with the cottage that she had seen in her mirror. On the front porch was a woman that fit the stereotype of witches: smooth black hair pulled into a high ponytail, her dark eyes fixed on their little group of three. Her modern clothing looked out of place in the middle of woods. “There you are, my darling. You’ve been hiding from me.” That musical voice rang through the clearing, setting off the white sparks again. “Oh poo, you’ve blocked me from making them mine, haven’t you?” The exaggerated pout made the woman seem childlike, probably her plan.

“I’m here to protect my town.” Caeley stood tall, her own power infusing her voice. The men looked up at the rustling above them, finding several dozen of the Sluagh above them. They appeared to be upset by the power filling the woods. At least they wouldn’t have to worry about attracting the attention of local humans being this far out into the woods.

The pout became a grin. “Your town. What makes this  _ your _ town? Because your grammy and mommy lived here?” Her tone was mocking. “This town that has tried to hurt you, kill you? The town that doesn’t even deserve people like us being within fifty miles of it?”

The redhead was confused by the statement. “Like us? The only things that we have in common is that we are both women and can be called a witch. We have  _ nothing _ in common,” she snarled, white sparks filling the area again.

The dark-haired woman drew back. “Temper, temper,” she chided, acting like the local witch was a child. “We’re not going to get along if you keep that up.”

Caeley’s head tilted to the side, glad that the boys have simply stood back for the moment. “What exactly are you looking for?”

Her smile seemed to want to be comforting, but it was like watching a wolf bare their teeth. “I’ve seen how lonely you are; wishing you had someone who understood.” She started slowly moving towards the trio. “I’ve come to grant your wish. You don’t have to be lonely anymore.”

It is said that the Irish have a temper, and Caeley had pure Irish blood. Her glowing eyes burned as she waved a hand back towards town. “All of this: the bodies, the Sluagh, Logan, and poor Hollie? This was all to get my attention so I won’t have to be lonely anymore?” This woman was unbelievable!

Sam and Dean exchanged nervous looks. What was this black witch thinking? Grips tightened on their shotguns.

“Well, of course! I can see it now!” The woman gestured towards the sky as if reading a banner. “Caeley and Clara! Ruling the town with unspeakable powers!” She turned back to the redhead. “No one would dare threaten us! If they do, we’ll send our pets after them!” The Sluagh screamed at the declaration, wings flapping wildly. It would be assumed that they were pleased with the arrangement. But Caeley knew the truth. The Sluagh were being used as tools and were trapped. The souls were not going to them, but going to Clara.

“Fear is not how we gain respect!” Caeley screamed back, stepping towards the other witch. “Fear is how I ended up in this situation! I would wait and prove myself to the people rather than work to rule!”

Clara seemed to stop for a moment, staring at the other woman as if she couldn’t believe what she was saying. The whole situation stood on the edge of a knife and was about to teeter off. Her head tilted to the side, reminding the trio of Logan’s motions last night. “Is that so?” The words hung in the air for a moment, then power exploded. Clara screamed as purple streams of power flooded the clearing.

The men flinched and reached for the handguns before a white barrier burst through the purple. With a cry, Caeley flung her arms out and her power enveloped Clara’s, overwhelming it to the point that the black witch had no choice but to pull it back. The women both froze, breathing heavily as both colors disappeared. The only sound heard was the cries of the oversized ravens. The hunters froze as well, waiting. To be involved right now would put their hostess at risk and could open themselves up to danger. They would wait and support right now, something neither of them were good at.

The Irish witch slowly stood up, blue fire burning in her eyes. “Trust is what we aim for. We never harm. We protect,” she declared.

Clara rolled her eyes. “You don’t really believe that shit, do you?” When Caeley didn’t back down, she scoffed. “Fucking white witches. What is wrong with you? I’m going to have to show you what real power looks like!” Dark purple power released from the dark witch, but flew up towards the skies this time, circling the ravens overhead. The trio could do nothing but watch as the birds screeched and shifted, their forms rippling as if in pain. There was an explosion of black feathers and the sky seemed to turn black.

Caeley backed closer to the men, the three of them instinctively circling up as white magic curled up her arms. “Find me quickly,” she cried out as she weaved her power, “She’s going to follow me. The center of town.”

“What are you talking -” Dean’s yell was interrupted as the black feathers fell from the sky and crashed down over them. The men hit the deck but were unhurt, protected by the white barrier magic of their local witch, but that didn’t block out the screams of their new contact. They were able to see that Clara had disappeared from beside them. They could only watch as Caeley was grabbed by several of the giant ravens, their claws digging into arms, her clothing, shoulders, and her legs as they pulled her towards the open sky. Sam recalled how she had stated that she wanted her hair up so it wouldn’t be grabbed. They could only watch as burst of white power glowed through the mass of birds, but did nothing but scare one or two off at a time, others taking their place.

“Caeley!” Sam screamed, aiming with the shotgun full of salt, a weakness of the fae. He quickly realized that they were both too far away already, but also it would most likely hit the witch as well.

“Dude! Let’s go! She already told us where she’s going!” Dean grabbed the back of his brother’s plaid shirt, both of them running flat out to the Impala over a mile away. The land seemed to take forever to cross, but they eventually emerged in the parking lot. The Winchesters noted the people pointing up at the sky and yelling about how they weren’t sure what they had seen. “Move, you idiots!” Dean yelled, tempted to shoot the shotgun off to get people to move out of the way.

“Get out of the way!” Sam hollered. Between the two of them yelling and coming full bore out of the woods brandishing loaded guns, everyone else gave them wide berth. There was enough room to throw the Impala in drive and race back towards town. Sam and Dean kept their eyes on the sky, but couldn’t find her. “She said the center of town.”

“We’ll get there, Sammy. Just hold on.” Dean’s grip tightened on the steering wheel as he put the classic car through its paces. As they drew closer, they noted people running away and could hear screaming. They could make out flashes of white and purple light, lighting up the town like a thunderstorm. They screeched to a halt and were out of the car in seconds to find an astonishing scene.

Despite the seriousness of the scene and the danger it presented, Sam couldn’t help but be amazed by the woman in front of him. Her cooper braid had been freed from it’s bun, caught in the breeze as strands had been pulled free. Her skin was decorated with cuts from the claws of the Sluagh, tearing through her jacket and jeans, as well as a trio of marks across one cheek. With her glowing blue eyes, the younger hunter could feel the amount of power flowing through her. She was the epitome of the druid warriors of old. “Caeley!” he yelled. She didn’t seem to react at first but then he felt the touch of power glide over his hand, almost like fingers being dragged over his skin. The fae had retreated to the rooftops, screaming and flapping their wings. People were scattered, seeming to have been trying to avoid the fight between the two powerful women. Clara was further along the road, looking worse for wear. Her clothing mussed and torn, her ponytail ripped free of its bindings as she snarled.

“These people see who you are now!” the black witch screamed, purple sparks flying from her hands towards a group that were trapped against a storefront. “They will know that you are a traitor to humankind, as well as us witches. They will never stop hunting you.”

Caeley scowled at the witch, watching and waiting. She knew that there was a moment that she needed to wait for, she just needed to be patient. With another spark of her magic, she guided Sam and Dean to move, her voice whispering to them that they needed to get their shot. If she could keep Clara distracted, they could finish this. With them moving, she set about it. She stalked forward, hair blowing in the wind as she gathered her power. Gaelic words flowed from her as she created her spells. Barriers lined the street, keeping the purple magic from spreading and allowing others to escape. She called upon Camalus, the god of war. She had never prayed to him prior to today, but she felt heard as if he was listening. She begged for help in bringing the black witch down before the whole town came down, asking for his hands to guide her.

She pulled on the spirits of fire, aided by the fire agate of her bracelet. Flames shot towards the dark-haired woman who, in turn sent out bursts of electricity. Caeley pulled on her barrier magic, but hissed as the purple sparks struck her, distracting her for a moment. That was enough for Clara to shove the magic in her direction, slamming her off of her feet. The redhead cried out as her shoulder caught the edge of the sidewalk, stopping the woman from hitting her own barrier and instead, crashing to a stop on the sidewalk. She breathed through the pain, but could feel the grinding of the broken bone. Ignoring it for now, she pushed herself to her feet. “You will never harm these people again!” she screamed, power welling from within her. It was a type of power that she had never felt before. It seemed that the gods had heard her prayers, influencing her magic and honing her words. Down to only one working hand, she threw out her own boom of power, unsurprised when Clara had blocked it. That’s when she noticed it. She was standing next to the hardware store where someone had run, leaving their purchase behind. She couldn’t help the smile. Gaelic slipping from her tongue, Caeley stomped down on her right foot, feeling the rumble of earth below as she whipped her working hand forward, a blast of pure magical power shooting forth. Between the blast and the shifting of the earth, it was enough to knock Clara off of her feet. Not wasting anymore time, Caeley returned to her plan. Included in the purchases was an iron prybar. Using only her magic, the Irish woman was able to send the tool like a javelin, where it landed exactly where she had aimed: straight through the center of the black witch’s chest.

Clara couldn’t believe it as she stared down at the iron bar. She winced and her breath heaved in and out of her in pain as the metal burned. She couldn’t concentrate and couldn’t move, as the metal had hit hard enough to pierce into the asphalt beneath her. Clara hissed as she looked up to meet the blue eyes of her fellow witch, unable to help the coughs of blood that stained her chin. She couldn’t help but chuckle, though it came out as a choke instead.

Caeley moved closer, but stopped just outside of arm’s reach. Her own breathing was heavy as she panted, exhaustion flooding her system. She had used too much power and what little she had left was being used to keep her awake, moving, and maintaining the barriers that surrounded the area. The redhead had one thought on her mind. “Why? Why did you do this?” she kept her voice soft, falling back into her soothing speech.

The dark-haired witch laughed, wincing again as the wound pulled. “You were lonely, and I was lonely too.” Dark eyes watched as the woman in front of her softened. “I lost my coven recently so I searched for someone who was as lonely as I was.”

The Winchesters moved up behind the black witch, Dean cocking the hammer back on his gun. “Can you blur out around us?” Sam asked, “I don’t think you want them to see.”

It took a second to understand, but Caeley understood, nodding. She called to the spirits around her, Gaelic filling the air again. A thick fog filled the center of town, hiding the two witches and two hunters from any prying eyes. There was a single gunshot that rang out, muffled again by the fog and magic in the air.

Caeley watched as the dark witch fell still, her heart heavy. “We should take her with us, salt and 

burn her. She was keeping the bones of the Sluagh in her cottage. We’ll take everything out at once, then take care of Logan.” Using her good arm, she supported her broken shoulder. “Do you have something I can use for a sling for now, just until I can get this repaired?” she asked quietly, her gaze not moving from the dead woman.

Sam nodded, watching as Dean gathered the corpse up, hoping to avoid a spectacle. They needed to get out of here before Caeley dropped the barriers, allowing the police into the scene. They needed this to be one of those stories that no one could explain.“Come on,” he said quietly, unable to help wrapping an arm around the Irish woman’s back as he led the way back to the Impala. He could feel her sigh and lean into him, relying on his strength at that moment. It worried him that he could still feel her panting, despite having had time to calm down. “Pain that bad?” he asked. He had dealt with broken bones before and understood how much they hurt.

The female nodded her head. “I’m so tired,” she responded in a low voice. All she wanted to do was fall into her comfortable bed and allow the world to fade away. But she couldn’t do that yet: she had a job to finish.

The younger hunter nodded, opening the back door for the woman and helping her sit down on the edge of her seat, her legs hanging out of the car. He popped the trunk, grabbing a strip of fabric to fashion into a sling as well as allowing Dean to deposit the corpse out of sight. Kneeling in front of the witch, he carefully looped the fabric to take some of the pressure off of her broken shoulder, pleased when he heard a sigh of relief. With that done, he helped Caeley slide fully into the back seat before helping Dean. As they loaded back into the car, Sam slid into the back seat as well without thinking. He ignored the look of confusion from his brother and focused on the exhausted witch instead.

Caeley couldn’t help but think about how warm the man next to her was. She definitely would never say no to curling up with him. She forced herself to stay focused, holding on to the barriers and the fog that surrounded them. “I’ll keep the fog with us, using it to dampen the sound of your car. I can keep it up until we get back to the gun range. Then, we just pretend that we never left.” She yawned, her panting slowing down as her exhaustion increased and the pressure had been taken off of her shoulder. She sat up straight, forcing herself to stay awake.

The rumble of the Impala was merely a whisper as it passed through the town at a slower speed than before. Despite the magic fog, Caeley made sure that Dean had no trouble navigating the several miles back to the gun range. The witch kept up the fog until they had unloaded from the car, Sam now armed with salt, gasoline, and matches, and Dean hauling the body of the dead witch. As soon as they were deep enough in the woods, Caeley let the magic drop, unable to help stumbling.

Dean stopped, looking at the redhead that had barely caught herself from falling. The overexertion was doing a number on the female, but neither of the men were able to help her right now. She would need to get to the cottage on her own. The walk took longer as they moved at the woman’s pace, allowing her to stop and catch her breath when needed, but they eventually made it to the dark witch’s home. The fae had returned, encircling the house but they were oddly silent this time as if they were waiting.

Caeley pushed open the wooden door and revealed what they were looking for. Dozens of bags of bones lined the wall, each belonging to a member of the Host. This explained why they never moved on from Scituate, why they had said that they had been trapped here. She left the salting and spreading of the gasoline to the boys while she searched the cabin to find anything that needed to be taken. Several grimoires sat on a shelf so she gathered those as well as any lore that could be useful. Rare stones were shoved in her pockets for cleansing and to be used at a later time. She even took a bag from Sam and gathered up ingredients that she found; she’d add them to her stores later. With that completed, she left the cottage without sparing a glance at the body or bones. She knew that the Winchesters had taken care of it. She heard the spark of a match and the hiss of the flames. Gathering some of her remaining magic, she called upon the spirits of fire to make sure that the place was consumed but the woods would remain untouched. Outside, she stood with the brothers and watched the case come to an end.

The trio watched as each of the birds gave a single call before disappearing in a blur of feathers. As they vanished, they could feel peace returning to the clearing and surrounding woods. Carley breathed a sigh of relief as she realized that it was finally over. Her town was safe. Finally able to breathe freely for the first time in several weeks, her legs collapsed underneath her and sent her to her knees. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she watched the cabin collapse in the flames. “It’s over,” she breathed, “It’s finally over.”

Sam kneeled beside the small woman, laying a hand on her good shoulder. Dean came up beside her, plopping a large hand on the top of her head, offering his own comfort. The three of them watched as the fire burned, taking away the fear and anxiety that had flooded her heart and town for the past several weeks. The sounds of the forest returned, sounding much like the woods that surrounded her little stone cottage.

As the flames burned low, Caeley nodded, knowing that the local spirits would make sure that nothing other than the cottage would burn. She forced herself unsteadily to her feet, shaking off the hands of the two hunters. “Let’s get cleaned up,” she said quietly. “We still have another body to take care of.” The redhead winced as she stood up straight. The Underfolk had dropped her several stories when they had flown her into the center of town and while her magic had caught her, it had still hurt quite a bit. She closed her eyes and just focused on breathing for a moment, trying to keep the black dots from overtaking her vision; between the pain and the lack of magic, she had to admit that she was struggling.

“Caeley?” Sam called, trying to catch the female’s attention. He watched how she swayed as she stood. It took a moment, but her eyes eventually opened, slowly focusing on him.

“I’m okay,” she murmured. “Let’s just get to the car.” The world seemed to wobble as she started to walk, causing her to close her eyes again and stop. “Just need a minute.” Her stomach rolled, but several deep breaths settled it down.

“Sammy, we’re not going to get anywhere like this,” Dean grumbled. He took the bag that Caeley had slung over her good shoulder that contained the books and ingredients she had saved. “You want to take her or do you want me to?” he asked, “It’s the only way we’re going to get back before dark.”

The taller male nodded, agreeing with his brother. “Help her up onto my back, I’ll piggyback her out.”

Caeley scowled, forcing her eyes to open again. “I’m fine!” she snapped, pushing herself to walk forward again. The exhaustion hit her even harder as she was forced to stop again, her good hand holding onto a tree to keep her upright. “Maybe I’m not,” she stated, so quietly that the men could barely hear her. Speaking more forcefully, the witch told them, “Just head back without me. I’ll get there. The words to release the spell around the home are  _ leigeil ma sgaoil _ . Just place a hand on each rune, no power needed.”

The two men looked at each other and both rolled their eyes. “Come on,” Sam stated. He dropped to one knee in front of the woman, patiently waiting for her.

Caeley looked nervously between the two men. She knew that as soon as she let herself relax, she would be dead to the world for some time. Nothing would wake her up. Did she want to be that vulnerable with these two? These men were hunters. They specialized in killing people like her. “Can I trust you?” The words rushed out of her before she even had time to think about it.

Sam looked back at the short woman, so tired that she could barely keep herself upright, but still fighting every step of the way. “Yeah,” he answered, “You can.”

Gathering every bit of courage she had, she staggered forward, almost slumping over the younger hunter’s back. She looped her good arm around his neck, clutching at the collar of his shirt and her head finding a resting place on his shoulder and tucked into the curve of his neck. Her wounded arm was tucked between her body and Sam’s, keeping it stable. It took some finagling and some support on Dean’s end, but the two Winchesters had the women settled safely and were finally on their way back to the cottage.

Her thighs were warm and strong in his hands and she had tucked her nose into his neck, her breath softly fanning over his skin. Sam was glad that he was following Dean because he was going to need a few minutes to adjust to this sort of intimacy. He could tell she was still awake for the moment with how her good arm wrapped around him tightly, but it was loosening slowly. He made sure to change his grip on her as needed to keep her balanced and safe. He was surprised when she picked up her head and placed a gentle kiss along his neck, right behind his ear. His own breath stuttered and his grip tightened on the woman, trying his best to make sure there was no change in his gait to alert Dean.

“Thank you.”

The words were so heartfelt that he couldn’t help but smile. “You’re welcome.” His voice rumbled quietly through him and he could feel her lips curl against his skin as she smiled. With that, she allowed herself to give in to her exhaustion, trusting him completely as she tucked her head into him and slept.

Dean was glad that this walk was unremarkable as they made it to the Impala. He was also glad to see most of the people who had been standing around earlier had scrammed, but there were a few guys standing in the parking lot against a pickup truck that looked up as they exited the woods.

“You guys okay?” one of the men called, noticing the rough appearance of the hunters as well as Caeley asleep on Sam’s back. “Did something happen?”

Dean grinned at them, covering his tracks and coming up with a story on the spot. “Yeah, we’re good. We were just hiking and my brother’s girlfriend thought it was a great idea to climb a tree. She fell and busted her shoulder. Took us a bit to get her out of there.”

“Dude, that sucks. She gonna be okay?” another asked. His head craned as he tried to get a good look at the sleeping woman. “Do you need us to call 911?”

“Nah, we’re good. We’ve got someone waiting already to take care of it. You guys have a good day, you hear?” Dean unlocked the Impala, dropping the bag in the front seat before helping Sam with the redhead. They didn’t want to just drop her into the back seat and mess up her shoulder worse, but between the two of them, they got her situated. As he stood up, he noticed one of the guys taking a picture of the car with his phone. “Everything all right?” he called as he shut the door. He didn’t want to get nailed for kidnapping when he hadn’t actually done anything wrong.

“Just a fucking awesome car. You don’t see them like that anymore,” the first guy said. His gaze followed the Impala’s curves with envy. “How’d you get her?”

Dean grinned, loving showing off the car. “My old man’s. Now I take care of her.” He heard Sam clamoring into the front seat and the door slamming shut. “We’ll catch you guys around!” He waved over his shoulder as he climbed into the driver’s seat. He revved the engine just to see the first guy swoon over the sound before pulling out of the parking lot. He grinned to himself. It was a good day whenever he was able to make people jealous about his car. He caught Sam’s look out of the corner of his eye. “What?” he snapped, his eyebrows furrowing and smile disappearing.

“You and this car, man,” Sam said, casting a disbelieving look at the older man.

“Shut up, bitch.”

“Jerk.”

Sam turned in the front bench seat to keep an eye on the woman. She appeared to be sleeping peacefully and wondered how long she’d be asleep. “We may need to be the ones to set her shoulder. If she sleeps too long, it won’t heal right,” he told his brother.

“I was going to call Cass and see if he could meet us at her place. He’ll fix her right.” Dean fiddled with the stereo, the classic rock music coming on low enough not to be too intrusive. “Hopefully she doesn’t have any wards against angels.”

The younger brother looked back towards the witch. “I didn’t see any, but who knows.”

Sam spent the rest of the drive watching the witch as she slumbered. He wondered what Cass would think of her. He hoped Dean would be willing to stay until she woke up. He also wondered what Caeley was going to do now that she had truly been exposed to her town. Would she stay here? Or would she leave? People didn't react well to those who were different. He thought about what it would be like to take her to the bunker, sharing a living space. She would be safe there, so he wouldn’t have to worry about that. He thought about how he would react to her. Would they be a pair that fell into bed once (because they both knew they would end up there) and that would be it, or would it be something that they would continue to crave? He shifted in his seat, suddenly uncomfortable sitting next to his brother. Closing his eyes, he focused on the fact that they need to have the witch healed and awake before anything could happen between the two of them.

Despite keeping his eyes on the road and humming along with the music, Dean was paying close attention to his brother. Those lines that always appeared between his eyebrows when he was worrying were loud and proud and he could see the wheels turning as he watched the Irish woman sleep. Unable to help himself, he smacked a hand against Sam’s leg, startling him out of his funk. “Relax, Sammy. We got the bad guy! She’ll be fine, and we have a couple of comfortable beds to sleep in,” he said cheerily. “We’ll grab some more beer before we get there, and replace her whiskey and it’ll be a good night. Maybe we’ll get Cass drunk again.” He grinned at the idea.

Sam chuckled at the image. “At least we won’t have to drag him very far to a bed.” He thought about the set up of the seaside cottage. It had the two double beds and Caeley’s oversized mattress. “We may have to bunk up with Cass being there.” The angel didn’t usually sleep but they knew that he appeared to enjoy a comfortable bed at times. His recent stint of being human had helped that along.

Dean’s grin turned lecherous. “You could always just bunk up with Caeley. I know that you wanted to, anyway.”

Sam’s head popped up as color stained his cheeks and ears. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He turned away from both the female and his brother, looking out the window. “There’s a liquor store up here on the right.”

The older man chuckled as he pulled the classic car in, carefully parking her. “I’ll leave you here. You want anything?” He looked back through the window as he shut the driver’s door behind him.

“I’m good.” He watched as his brother headed into the small package store. Sam turned towards the backseat again, watching the sleeping woman. Unable to help himself, gentle fingers stroked along her cheek. He could feel her breath and her warm skin, soothing him with the fact that she was okay. Knowing that her magic had been dangerously depleted, she had been significantly hurt, and now with the fact that she had collapsed with exhaustion, he was concerned how attracted he had felt to the small witch. First of all, this was a witch: this was someone he had been raised to kill without a second thought. This was also a woman that he had just met within the last twenty-four hours. This was someone he should not be having this deep of an attraction to. He had no idea why this was happening, but he believed her when she had told him that there was no magic involved. He then remembered the kiss they had shared earlier, how he had reacted so intensely and how badly he burned for her. He remembered her reaction to him, how her fingers had twined tightly into his hair. He wanted to see what would happen. With a smile, he decided that he wouldn’t worry about it, but would simply see where this went. With that decision made, he could feel himself relax. The younger hunter turned back to the front to see his brother returning with several paper bags. “How much did you get?”

The older Winchester chuckled as he tucked the alcohol in the back seat. “We’ll be there until she wakes up and figures out what she wants to do. I don’t think you’ll let us leave before then.” He gave his brother another grin before starting up the car again, and they headed off.

The brothers weren’t surprised to see a dark haired man in a trench coat waiting for them. They were surprised to see him surrounded by several goats and chickens, the poor angel looking very confused. “Hey, Cass,” Dean greeted as he clamored out of the vehicle. “Having fun?”

“Hello, Dean.” The angel answered, though his focus stayed on the animals. “What am I doing here?”

“We need your help with a new contact. She’s hurt.” Before he helped Sam gather up the witch and her belongings, he decided to help Cass first. “Alright everyone, show’s over. Get out of here. We’ll take care of you later.” He waved his arms as he approached the cluster of animals. He was surprised when they simply stared at him, not reacting to him. He waved his hands towards them one more time. “Shoo.”

Sam tried hard not to laugh but the animals simply staring at the two men was simply too much for him. “They’re probably going to be anxious until she wakes up. Just ignore them until we have to put them to bed for the night.” He opened the back door by the woman’s feet. “Cass, can you heal her before we move her again?”

“Who is she?” the blue eyed man asked, moving through the animals. At Sam’s urging, he opened the other back door, looking down at the sleeping witch.

“This is Caeley,” Dean told him, watching the animals as they followed him as he backed up to the car. “She’s a white witch who helped us out with this last case. She was thrown around by a black witch and was hurt, plus she used too much power, so she’s sleeping. Don’t think much’ll wake her up right now.”

Cass’s head tilted to the side as he took her in, observing the sleeping woman. His eyes glowed brightly with his grace as his hand dragged over her face. The effects were immediately observed as the cuts from the Underfolk were closed and her shoulder took a more natural shape. Her ribs seemed to loosen up as her breathing evened out. She must have damaged them when she was dropped by the Sluagh. With that done, he turned to Dean. “I was unable to enter the house. Something is blocking me.”

Carefully, the younger brother maneuvered the redhead out of the car. He looped an arm behind her shoulders and hooked the other up under her knees. Sam carefully cradled her to his chest, helping her head curl into his neck. “She sealed the house prior to us leaving. Dean, do you mind?” He gestured his head toward the house, encouraging his brother to unseal the home.

“I’m not a god damn witch. Cass?” He rolled his eyes as he grabbed the bag of spoils from Clara’s home.

The angel looked back at the stone cottage, calculating. “I cannot access the home.”

“Dean,” Sam started, catching his brother’s attention. “She gave us the words, remember? Just touch both of the runes and say  _ leigeil ma sgaoil. _ ” His tongue curled around the Gaelic words, carefully sounding them out for the elder Winchester.

Green eyes focused on his brother for a minute. “How about this: you give me her and  _ you _ unlock the house?”

Unconsciously, the younger hunter’s arms tightened around the witch. It took him a second to remember that he trusted his brother.

“I won’t let anything happen to her,” Dean promised, holding up his right hand as if swearing on it. “I’ll give her right back.” Apparently his brother’s attraction was more intense than he thought. He carefully moved to be handed the woman. He was surprised how small she was as he held her to his chest. It must have been her sheer presence and power that had filled the space. He remembered how she had stood toe to toe within him last night and had even won. That was something even Sam didn’t often manage. The elder brother curled her up into his shoulder, pleased to feel her warm and breathing. That meant she was okay and would be able to handle his brother.

Unable to help himself, Sam brushed loose red hair behind the woman’s ear. Realizing what he was doing, he turned away to the house. He could see Cass watching him closely, his head tilting in question. Large hands rested over the carved runes. “ _ Leigeil ma sgaoil, _ ” he repeated. He felt the magic tingle across his skin and they watched the white power smoke away. Sam pushed the door open for his friends. Turning, he reached for Caeley, easily taking her from his brother.

“Have you met her before?” Cass asked, following the two brothers into the seaside cottage. His sharp eyes took in every detail. This witch had quite a stock of ingredients and lore within her reach, and he could feel the magic running through the home. “She appears to be quite powerful.”

“Yeah, you should have seen it, Cass. This woman was a badass, taking on demon bird fairies, plus the black witch.” Dean dropped the bag of spoils on the workbench for the woman to deal with later. “You hungry? She made soup. Let’s take care of the dead body and I’ll heat it up.”

Sam was unable to hear the conversation continue as he brought the witch upstairs. He let her rest on the bed as he thought about his next steps. He couldn’t in good conscience leave her to sleep in her clothes. He allowed her to lay down, her legs hanging off of the bed which allowed him to unlace and remove her boots. The ankle holster was undone and the gun removed, so he placed them on the nightstand to return to the safe. He then reached for the leather jacket. It still had numerous claw marks torn through it and would most likely need to be thrown out, but he would leave it for her to decide. The double shoulder holsters were easy enough to pull off and were placed with her ankle piece. He then set about removing her jewelry. A small pile grew of rings, bracelets, and necklaces. His next and final step was to take care of her hair. It had to be uncomfortable to sleep on all of those pieces of metal she had laced in there. Sam paused a moment, thinking how best to manage it. The hunter then decided to crawl into the bed behind her, shifting so she was mostly in his lap, her head resting on his thigh. He took a deep breath, forcing himself in check at the feel of her weight and warmth against him. The male shifted slightly, trying to ease some of the tension in his pants. He then set himself to task. He carefully unwound every braid, pulling out leather strips, ribbons, and hair beads. He placed them in a pile all of their own as he pulled apart the last braid over her ear. Unable to help himself, Sam threaded his fingers through her hair, enjoying the soft strands. He smiled softly at the feel of her hands twitching and seeing her eyes move below the lids. He hoped that she was having pleasant dreams. Taking another deep breath, the Winchester gently maneuvered the woman off of him, climbed off of the bed (which he couldn’t help notice was more comfortable than the one he had slept in last night which was saying something), then tucked her under the covers. Sam wasn't sure if he could hold himself together with pulling off her jeans despite how uncomfortable they would be. Just the feel of her hair, weight, and warmth was enough. Remembering how she slept last night, he tucked the pillow under her head and smiled as he watched her clutch at it, curling up a bit more. His large hand ran over her head one more time, and he pushed himself to standing and gathered up her guns, rejoining the two men downstairs.

“There you are,” Dean said around a mouthful of soup. “I was wondering if you had fallen asleep up there with her.”

Sam shook his head as he dropped the trio of guns on the workbench. “No, just getting her settled and comfortable.”

“Did you undress her?” The elder grinned as he looked at his brother.

“Dean, no,” Sam scolded, dropping into another chair at the kitchen table. “She’s practically comatose.”

“She’s dreaming of you,” Cass said suddenly. Looking up at the loft where the woman slept. “She likes pulling your hair. Have you met her before?” he asked again, oblivious to the Winchesters’ reactions: Sam choking on air and Dean snorting into his soup.

“No, Cass,” Sam started, glaring at his brother as he continued laughing at his expense. “We met her yesterday. We were told originally that she was part of what was going on with the town.”

“Ah, I see.” He continued to stare up into the loft. “She is a very vivid dreamer. Have you had sex already? She seems to take some inspiration from it.”

Dean couldn’t take it anymore. He rocked back in his chair as his laughter rang through the home. Sam hung his head, rubbing at his forehead to stave off a headache. “Cass, it’s impolite to look in on someone’s dreams. We’ve had this talk.”

“Oh.” Cass focused his attention back on the brothers. “How long are you planning on staying here?”

“Sammy here wants to know what Caeley’s gonna do. The Clara bitch basically outed her to the entire town. I think she should come back to the bunker with us. She’s easier to work with than Rowena.” Dean wrinkled his nose at the thought. “She’d be safer with us until she decides what she wants to do.”

The younger brother looked up, surprised at his brother. That wasn’t something he expected of him. “It would be nice to have a witch we can trust. And it’s not like she’s new at this.”

“I wonder how her power matches up to Rowena’s,” Dean asked, scraping his spoon against the bowl of chowder. “I’m heating up more. You guys want some?”

“Yeah, I’ll take some. Make a bowl for Cass as well.” The chowder smelled good. “Can you really compare white witches to black witches?”

“Power levels can be comparable,” the angel added. “I’ll have to see when she regains her energy.”

Dean bopped back to the table, beers clutched in his hands. “Well, we have some time before we have to handle the animals. Let’s drink to a closed case!”

The three men laughed as they enjoyed the chowder and beers. The witch was lost in her dreams, content to be comfortable in her bed with the three hunters watching over her.

Several hours later, Sam looked up. “It’s sunset. We need to get the animals in. We can’t leave them out overnight.” He pushed away from the table. “Come on, it’s going to take all three of us to do this.” Dean looked up at him with only one eye open, having broken into the whiskey some time ago, as he cradled his glass in his hand. Sam rolled his eyes, waving at his two friends to come with him. “It’ll be done faster and you can be back drinking before you know it.”

The three men headed out the back door, leading to a large chicken coop and a barn for the goats. They found the feed for the chickens, hay for goats, and water for both in a shed. The animals appeared to know the routine and were hovering around the immediate area. A rooster stood on top of the coop, watching the three men. He knew that they would be just like the woman and try and shove him in that coop at night. Freddie knew that he could take better care of the ladies if he stayed outside. He would do his best to avoid them and fled into the brush.

“Alright, I’ll take care of the goats and you two get the chickens,” Dean directed. He grabbed up a bale of hay and headed into the barn. “Here, goats!” he called, as he dropped the bale. He was supposed to split it up, right? The older hunter broke it up and deposited it into the feeders. He took the hose and filled up the buckets with fresh water. Looking up, he noted that none of the goats had come into the barn. “Come here, goats!” He called again. Sticking his head out the door, he could see around a half dozen goats standing there and staring at him. “Let’s go! Bedtime!” He gestured into the building and was surprised when none of them moved. “Alright, come on!”

Sam looked over from where he was leading the hens in. Cass was in the process of hunting down the rooster who seemed intent on avoiding them. He grinned at Dean’s stand off with the group of goats. “Come on, Dean! Can’t handle some goats?” The last of the hens had settled in for the night and from the squawking he heard, Cass had caught the flighty rooster. He came around the corner holding the bird upside down by the legs.

“I don’t think he likes me,” Cass stated as he tossed the bird into the coop, shutting the door quickly. “Dean, do you need help?” The angel moved forward.

Sam interrupted, putting out a hand to stop him. “No, let him handle this. I want to see what happens.” He crossed his arms as he leaned against the coop. Cass shoved his hands in the pockets of his trenchcoat, his head tilted some as he watched the elder Winchester.

Dean flipped the two of them the bird and glared at them. This took his attention off of the herd and he yelped when he felt teeth dig into his thigh. “You bitch!” he yelled, jumping away from the female. This caused him to bump into another female who took advantage of the closeness. She bit him too as a third female headbutt him, knocking him off balance.

The angel cracked a wide smile as Sam threw his head back in a laugh. The brother understood what Caeley had meant when she had said Dean wouldn’t survive the experience. The poor man was being bounced around the group of goats like a game of hot potato, yelping and cussing as he went. “Should we help him?” Cass asked, chuckling.

“Probably,” Sam answered, grinning. He pushed himself off of the coop. “Ladies,” he called, unknowingly using Caeley’s name for them, “Leave him alone. Let’s go.” He waved the goats towards the shed. His eyebrows almost hit his hairline as they looked at him and started to wander into the shed.

“Aw, come on, man!” Dean threw up his arms and turned away, frustrated with the animals.

“I just have a way with the ladies,” Sam chuckled. His laughter increased as one of the goats pushed at his hand looking for a pat. “Good girl,” he praised, stroking the top of the doe’s head as she scooted into the barn. With the last of the goats inside, the men locked the barn, keeping them safe for the night.

“Alright gentlemen, there is whiskey waiting for us.” Dean clapped the two other men on the back, pushing them towards the cottage.

Cass looked pleased at the idea. “Does she have more of that soup?”

“Of course.” Sam ruffled the angel’s hair before heading into the kitchen to heat up more of the soup. He was pleased with the fact that the witch had the foresight to make so much. She must have known for some reason that the three of them would be up a good portion of the night eating and drinking.

It was a while before the three of them tapped out, even Cass looking for a bed. The three of them had hit the showers and eventually trooped up the stairs, the two older hunters barely keeping quiet as they each fell into one of the smaller beds. Sam raised an eyebrow as each of his partners took up an entire bed. He knew that Dean had brought up making him share with Caeley, but he hadn’t thought that he would do it, and he would have never believed that Cass would have gotten in on the plan.

“I see what you mean, Dean,” Cass grumbled into the pillow, curling under the blanket in the middle of the bed. “These are very comfortable.”

“I told you.” Dean grinned as he starfished across the second bed, quickly dropping off to sleep and snoring.

Sam rolled his eyes and turned to look at the still sleeping female. Thankfully, she was still curled in the same position as he had left her earlier, on her side with her hands curled into the pillow. He should be able to keep a space between them, no problem… Yeah, right. He took a deep breath before climbing into the other side of the bed. The first thing he noted was the smell. He had smelled her earlier when he had carried her out of the woods, but that had been affected by the smells of the fight. Now? This was  _ her  _ smell: lavender, vanilla, the forest, and the salt of the sea. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to keep his body from responding. He focused on how comfortable the bed was and stretched out, glad to have a bed that could accommodate his height. With a low groan, his eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep.

It was just before sunrise when Caeley’s mind started to whir to life. She felt differently than when she usually woke from sleep. Firstly, she felt much warmer than usual as she usually woke up wanting to burrow back in her blankets from the cold and that wasn’t happening. Secondly, it appeared that she was sharing her bed with someone. She normally would be concerned, but the smell that surrounded her was something that was quickly becoming familiar. A strong arm had banded around her waist, pulling her flush against a warm body that had curled completely around her. A leg had been tucked into hers, and another arm was tucked under her head and pillow. She could also feel a warm breath fan across the back of her neck. The redhead smiled. She preferred being eclipsed by her lover. It made her feel safe and taken care of, but on the other side, it made it so much more satisfying to have him at her mercy. Maybe it was the type of dreams she had, but she felt so aware of him: aware of his size, his warmth, his smell, and how tightly he had her pulled against him. She wondered if this was something he had done on purpose, or if he had moved against her in his sleep. The witch wanted to strip off her jeans and bra, but she didn’t want to make him move. She also had a more pressing need of her bladder. She had to get up. Caeley gently moved to pull his arm off of her waist, moving slowly to try and keep him asleep. She couldn't help but smile when his response was to pull her in even tighter, grumbling as he buried his face into her neck. Her magic had not yet built back up enough for her to feel comfortable using it outside an emergency situation, so she would have to do this physically and do her best not to startle him awake.

Sam groaned quietly as he felt gentle fingers drag along his hand and arm, slowly bringing him out of sleep. He didn’t want to wake up yet. He was comfortable and his bedmate made everything better. Wait… Bedmate? He blearily opened his eyes, his vision full of copper hair. Caeley.

“I’m sorry, my darling,” she told him in a murmur, not wanting to really wake him up. “I’ll be back very shortly. Can you let me up?”

The younger hunter muttered something intelligible and pulled his arm back, allowing the woman up. He was able to watch as she shucked out of her clothing, revealing the pale skin of her back to him. Unable to help himself, he reached out and dragged a few fingers along her spine. He smiled as he felt her shiver and her breath leave her in a rush. He allowed his hand to fall to the bed and watched as her linen gown covered her and she disappeared silently down the stairs. He continued to doze as he waited for her, opening his eyes again as she returned. While Sam expected it, he was pleased when Caeley curled right back into the same spot against him, encouraging the closeness. He tucked himself around her, finding himself enjoying it even more as he felt her skin against his. A strong arm curled back around the small woman, making him aware of how much larger he was than her. With the size of her presence, he had forgotten that he was over a foot taller and much broader than the witch. He smiled against the skin of her neck, placing a gentle kiss there and absorbing her scent.

“Don’t start. Your brother and your friend are still here,” she grumbled. Unfortunately, she was becoming more and more awake. It just wasn’t enough to make her move. She smiled as she felt him settle down behind her. She was glad to feel him relax and eventually fall back asleep, though his grip on her never loosened.

With the three men deep asleep, Caeley allowed her mind to wander over everything she had to take care of. A frown spread across her lips as she contemplated the consequences of the last twenty-four hours. The town was safe, which was the most important thing. It was lighter without the presence of the fae and the weekly ‘suicides’ were no longer a concern. But the fight in the middle of town had revealed her true self to the town. It was one thing to be known as someone who could provide holistic remedies with some psychic tendencies, but for them to see the full extent of her power, her temper, and the type of monsters that lived out there: that was part of a whole other ball game. Thankfully, the sun had been up and the Host had been unable to take their true forms, but the obscene size of the birds had been enough. When she had survived being dropped over five stories with minimal injuries, the flares of magical power (both visible and invisible), and its effects to Clara, herself, and the environment, the main street had been full of tourists and locals alike. They had watched her telekinetically throw an iron crow bar like a javelin to impale another person. While she hadn’t pulled the trigger on the gun, she had deliberately caused another person’s death as the black witch would not have survived being skewered to the street. She could never again say that she hadn’t ever knowingly caused harm. She had known what would happen as soon as she formulated the plan. Could she even claim to be a white witch anymore, having hurt someone deliberately? The only saving thought that helped was that Clara had been killing people and destroying souls and spirits; stopping her had saved lives. 

The witch curled the pillow further under her head, not wanting to pull away from the warm hunter behind her. If anything, she wanted to bury herself into him and ignore the rest of the world. He would be an excellent distraction she decided, a soft smile replacing the frown. She had a feeling that it would be a very easy thing to do. Especially since they had somehow healed her shoulder and all of the wounds from yesterday, there would be no healing time to worry about. She was sure that it had to do with the new guy as he appeared to be something that she had never come in contact with before. But if the Winchesters trusted him enough to sleep in his presence, she would trust him as well.

Caeley forced her attention back to the problem at hand. The people of her town, as amazing as they were, were totally outside of the supernatural life. People, on a whole, do not like change; they don’t like different. Should she leave? Should she wait and see what happens? She sighed heavily. With the thoughts overwhelming her, she needed to physically do something. That would help her process. That also required her getting up from the safe space that she had discovered in Sam’s arms. The redhead reminded herself that he would allow her to crawl back into him, that this wasn’t the last time that she would be able to curl up with him.

The witch was able to finagle herself out of his arms, making sure to use her pillow to give him something to curl up with. She smiled as she watched as the hunter buried his face into her pillow, curling his arms tightly around the fluff. She smothered a giggle as she pulled her hair back into a quick, simple braid, just enough to keep it out of her way for the day. Caeley straightened her knee-length dress, the tight bodice supporting her breasts without a bra, and moved down the stairs. Practiced hands started a strong pot of coffee, making sure to fill the pot. Leaving that to brew, she headed out back towards the chicken coop and barn. The redhead let the goats out first, counting them as they left and glad that the men had managed to round them all up. “Thank you, ladies, for being nice to them last night,” she cooed before moving to clean up the barn. She heard the herd stall on their way out, drawing her attention. “You were nice, right?” The nannies stared at her. “Oh, ladies,” she chided, placing a hand on her hip. “You were mean to Dean, weren’t you?” They continued to stare at her, prompting her to roll her eyes. “Get out of here before he wakes up.” She waved them off and quickly cleaned the barn from the night. She moved on to the chicken coop. The hens were sweet as always, following the line of feed out. Freddie, on the other hand, was in fine form this morning. The rooster squawked his displeasure at being manhandled and forced into the coop. He hopped up and down and pecked at her bare feet, informing her of the abuse he had endured at the hands of the third man. He ran away as white sparks startled him, Caeley shaking her head. That rooster would never change. Cleaning the coop was easy and eight eggs waited for her to gather. She should have enough to make everyone a decent breakfast.

She hummed an Irish lullaby as she headed back into the kitchen, leaving the door open to encourage the fresh breeze. She nodded to the dark haired male that now inhabited her kitchen. “Good morning, did you sleep well?”

“I don’t sleep, but I did rest. Your beds are very comfortable,” the man told her. “Your coffee smells good.”

“Would you like a cup? I make it strong, but there’s sugar and milk if you need it.” Caeley tucked the eggs away.

He turned his bright blue eyes on her. “I would. Thank you.”

The witch went about making him a cup, and after pausing a second, left it black. “I’m Caeley. I should thank you for the healing. I appreciate it. Bones take a while, even with my healing abilities.”

“I’m Castiel, an angel of the Lord. The Winchesters call me ‘Cass’.” He nodded his head.

Blue eyes met blue as she looked at him in surprise. “Angel? Really? Of course, you’re not lying.” Her gift told her that much and there had been stranger things that she had encountered. “How long have you known the Winchesters?” She gently herded him to sit at the kitchen table, setting down a cup of black coffee for each of them.

“I have known Dean since I pulled him out of Hell. About four years now.” He wrapped his large hands around the coffee, taking in the scent.

Caeley’s eyebrows almost ended up in her hairline. “I feel like there are a lot of stories I haven’t heard yet.”

“They have been through a lot,” the angel said simply, taking a sip of his coffee.

The woman waited for him to continue but wasn’t surprised when he didn’t. She smiled over her coffee. “So, you met Freddie last night.”

Castiel furrowed his brows in confusion. “Freddie?”

She giggled. “The rooster. He was very upset with you this morning.”

The man nodded slowly. “He did not seem to enjoy me catching him.”

“He never does. He wants to stay out all night but I don’t want to risk him getting eaten. He takes care of the hens so well. Also, what happened with Dean and my goats?”

This time, the man grinned and a chuckle came from the staircase. They both turned to see Sam coming down the stairs dressed only in a pair of sweatpants. Caeley couldn’t help the blush that spread along her cheeks. She remembered vividly being wrapped against him and wanted to escape into that again. Remembering that brought up the thoughts that she was having this morning. Her smile falling, her gaze turning back to the coffee.

Sam frowned at the movement. Was she upset about this morning? Or was something else going on? He had certainly enjoyed waking up next to her, as well as falling back asleep with her in his arms. The hunter had felt calmer when wrapped up in her scent. “How are you feeling this morning?” he asked. “Everything heal okay?” He poured himself a cup of coffee, making sure to add milk and sugar.

“Yes, thank you. I have already passed my thanks on to Castiel.” She looked at him and did smile which lifted his anxiety some. “We were just talking about your adventures of taking care of my animals. My thanks to you for doing so. I can’t imagine what would happen if Freddie was left out overnight.”

Sam sat down next to her, taking a sip of the strong coffee. “Freddie?”

“The rooster. Apparently, he doesn’t like me,” Cass told him. “She had asked what happened between Dean and the goats.”

The Winchester snorted into his coffee. “They don’t like him very much,” he said simply.

“They told me the same. Was he hurt?” Caeley asked, her eyes concerned.

“They bruised me up pretty good.” Dean came thumping down the stairs, running a hand through his dark blonde hair. “Do you have more coffee?” He looked over at the pot. “Stupid question, of course you do.”

The witch smiled. She could see bruises on his arms and had a feeling there were more on his legs. “Do you want me to heal the bruises?” she asked, “I know that goats have a pretty good bite and headbutt.”

He waved her off. “Don’t waste your ingredients on me.” He took a sip of the coffee and nodded, pleased with the strength of the coffee.

Finishing her coffee, she pushed away from the table, allowing Dean to take her seat. “The girls gave me plenty of fresh eggs this morning. Castiel, would you like something? Or are you going to just have the coffee?”

“Coffee is fine.” He watched as the woman tied an apron around her waist, covering her pale green linen dress. “You were upset,” he stated.

The woman froze as she pulled the eggs out of the fridge. Standing up straight, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to ignore the fact that it was shaky as it was expelled. “Just a lot on my mind.” She set about pulling all of her ingredients out. “A lot happened yesterday that may have put me in… a difficult position,” she decided to say, her hands going through the motions of cooking without her mind being in it. “I need to figure out what is going to happen next but I’m not sure what is going to happen. I’m not getting anything,” she stated, referring to her intuition. She chose her words carefully and spoke slowly. She needed to find that titanium spine she wore so well.

Sam went to speak but he was interrupted by a knock in the front door. He went to stand but was stopped by Caeley raising a hand. He stopped but it was only because of the look on her face. She looked sick to her stomach, the green tinge bringing out the red of her hair.

The Irish woman forced herself to breathe as she moved towards the door, straightening up to her full height and begging her stomach to stop rolling. Without the full bore of her power behind her the effect was weakened, but she still wore the guise of someone who was not to be messed with. The thick wooden door was opened to reveal two men of average height. Their badges shone and her eyes immediately were drawn to guns and handcuffs. “Officer Daniels and Officer Campbell,” she greeted quietly. “What can I do for you, sirs? You’re out early.”

“We’re about what happened yesterday. May we come in?” Daniels gestured into the home, stepping forward.

“Of course, sirs.” She stepped out of the way, her hands wringing the edge of her apron before she forced herself to let go. “May I offer you a cup of coffee? I just finished brewing a pot.”

Dean stepped away from the table, moving to take care of the eggs that had been started. He kept an eye on the situation as the two police officers entered the house.

Campbell looked around the home. He was told that he was going to a witch’s home, but this was both nothing and everything that he expected: the books, the altar, and the workbench surrounded with what looked like ingredients. But on the other hand, it was filled with light, clean and the air smelled good. He had never met a real witch before. “We're not here on a social call. I’ve been told that you’re a witch.”

“I am,” she answered. “Is there something that I can help you with? You said that something had occurred yesterday?”

Daniels and Campbell stood in front of the small woman, putting all three hunters on edge. Sam angled his chair so he could stand quickly if he needed to. Castiel watched as he drank the coffee. If the Winchesters were worried, then he should be too.

“We wanted to know what occurred yesterday, down in the center. There were reports of an altercation and strange things happening.” Daniels didn’t believe in magic and thought that the reports were blown out of proportion. He knew that something had happened downtown, he could see the evidence of it. He has seen where the iron crowbar was still sticking out of the ground, covered in gore. The tool had been so firmly in the ground that it had taken breaking the asphalt around it to remove it. The whole situation reminded him of the movies where superheroes fought, but that didn’t exist in the real world. “We heard reports of someone being killed.”

“Killed, sir?” Caeley deflected. Being a truthsayer did not help in these situations. “My friends and I were in the woods yesterday.” One hundred percent the truth, even if it was a misdirection.

“And who are you guys?” Campbell asked, gesturing to the three hunters. The woman appeared to be staying with three men. A look around the cottage revealed only the loft for sleeping quarters. It was unseemly for an unmarried woman to have men staying over without supervision.

“We’re friends from out of town. We’ve known Caeley for a while and finally had the chance to come and see her,” Dean answered from the kitchen. He had found bacon in the fridge and was in the process of cooking that up as well. “She was sweet enough to put us up while we’re here.”

“We have reports of you fighting with another woman in the downtown area. We also have reports of her being murdered by you. Something about a crowbar.” He didn’t mention that the reports had said that she had used telekinesis to throw the bar as he thought that was just insanity.

She had done both of those things. She had murdered the other witch. “As I'm sure you're aware, sirs, I do not usually leave my home. Is there a particular reason that you are looking at me for these allegations?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"A person matching your description was placed at the scene using, what they seemed to call 'magic'." The officer even used his hands to make finger quotes.

"Magic is real, sir," Caeley countered. Unable to help herself, white sparks fluttered from her fingertips as she waved them at the officers. It was just enough for the men to question what they were seeing, both of them stepping back and looking at each other.

"And according to the videos that were caught, you are able to use it." Daniels was getting visibly frustrated with the situation. He had hoped to come in, make a quick arrest, and get out. That wasn't happening. He also didn’t like the look of these guys, prompting him to want to leave the home even more quickly. "I want a clear answer, Ms. McDonough: yes or no. Did you or did you not murder a currently unknown woman downtown?"

With that, Caeley was trapped. She couldn't answer. There was no misdirection that she could use to slip out of it, none that he wouldn’t call her on immediately. They would never buy the story of the Underfolk killing people on the black witch’s orders. They would never believe that the woman had planned on enslaving the town. The best that would happen in the situation would be her ending up sedated in a psychiatric facility. The hunters watched as her gaze dropped and her hands moved to twist the edge of her apron. Her eyes burned as she fought back tears.

Daniels nodded. “Caeley McDonough, you are under arrest for the murder of an unknown woman and destruction of public property.” He reached and grabbed his cuffs, spinning the small woman around and grasping her wrists before anyone could react. The cuffs clicked shut with heavy clacks. “You have the right -” His words cut off.

Caeley looked back at the two officers behind her, tears falling from her eyes as they appeared to have frozen in mid-sentence. “What?” She looked further behind her to see the angel with glowing eyes and his hands outstretched, touching both of the men on the back of their heads. Was he doing this? He was protecting her?

“Thanks, Cass.” Sam hopped out of his seat and moved to the weeping witch. He gently cradled her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. “You okay?” Dean had already moved to unlock the cuffs, leaving her hands free. The younger Winchester pulled her against him, ignoring the fact that her tears were wetting his bare chest and fingers were digging into the muscles of his back. “Hey, Cass.” Glowing eyes looked at him for a moment. “Can you make them believe that no one was here? That no one was home? Make them forget why they came here in the first place?”

“Of course.”

The four of them watched as the two police officers suddenly turned and left the building, shutting the door behind them as they left. The sound of the cruiser starting and heading back down the wooded road was enough to let them breathe sighs of relief.

“Oh crap, the bacon!” Dean hurried back into the kitchen. “Nope, we’re good. No burning.” He quickly handled the plating and shutting everything off. He wanted to keep himself busy while his brother handled the crying woman. He didn’t deal so well with crying women.

“Hey,” Sam spoke in a soothing tone. He sat back into a chair, pulling the white witch with him. Unsurprisingly, she let him move her to his satisfaction, ending up with her tucked into his neck and sitting across his lap. His large hands drew small circles on her lower back and rested on her leg, letting her cry out her fear. “I’m guessing this is what you were worried about?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

Caeley nodded miserably. With a sniffle, she forcibly pulled herself back together, pulling away from the male instead hiding within his embrace like she desperately wanted to. “I’ll have to leave. I have to find somewhere to go.”

As much as it hurt him, Sam had to ask. “Do you have a plan in place in case this happened? Do you have somewhere to go?” He saw Dean give him a ‘what the fuck’ look out of the corner of his eye. Sam wanted the woman to come with him, but he wasn’t going to force her.

The redhead shook her head. “No, I don’t. I don’t have any known family. I never knew my father, though he would have long since passed away by now. I’ll have to find a place to start over. I’ll have to sell the girls and Freddie. They won’t be able to come with me.” She wiped away the tears still on her face. She needed to put on her big girl panties and deal with the problem. “Oh, the nannies are going to be so upset,” she groaned.

“Nannies? Like babysitters?” Dean asked, filling his plate with eggs and bacon.

“No, like female goats,” Sam corrected. “You can come with us,” he told her, the words coming out in a rush. “We have a safe place and you can bring all of the animals.”

Caeley’s eyes were wide as they settled on the man who was still holding her. “What?” Her gaze turned to Dean and Castiel. “How would that work?”

The younger hunter turned her in his lap to face him more fully. “We have a place. Dean calls it the Batcave -”

“Because it is the Batcave!” the elder brother interjected. “Wait ‘til you see it, sweetheart. You’re going to love it.”

“It’s in the middle of the woods. It’ll be easy enough to set up a coop and barn. Even Freddie will be happy.” He smiled when Caeley laughed at that.

“That rooster will never be happy,” she told him. She sobered almost immediately. “Are you sure?” she enunciated. “You would be bringing a witch into your home, your safety zone.”

“There’s been weirder,” Dean responded, sipping his coffee. “Are you coming or not?” he asked bluntly.

The woman looked between the three pairs of eyes: hazel, green, and blue. Her gifts told her that they were not lying. Her empathy told her that they wanted her there.

“Dean was talking about bringing you there last night. Sam was thinking about it as well,” Cass said suddenly, staring at the bottom of his empty coffee cup as if it would magically refill.

Caeley stared at the angel. “It’ll be a lot of work. I’ll need a trailer for the animals, and one for my things. It’ll take time to pack everything, especially since I don’t have my magic right now. There’s the -” Her eyes widened as she was interrupted by a hand over her mouth.

“We’ll help,” Sam told her. “Eat and then we’ll start packing. Dean’ll go rent everything. We’ll get everything packed up straight away.”

The redhead stared at him for a moment as he let her go. “This is your last chance to back out. After this, you’re stuck with me.”

The more that the Winchester thought about it, the more okay he was feeling with the situation. “Eat,” he reminded her. “Then we’ll get started.”


	3. Finally

One thing Caeley did not have right now was time. No time to make decisions. No time to think, which in her case was probably a good thing. She wanted to be on the road by morning at the latest but by this evening would be best. The witch wasn't sure how much time had been bought by Castiel's memory manipulation. All she could do was listen to what the three men were telling her.

Sam was pleased to watch her eat. From what he already knew about her personality, she probably wouldn't do so again until they were on the road. He reminded himself to put in a call to Charlie to have her erase the information from the Scituate police records. Anything to keep her safe.

"Alright, Cass," Dean said suddenly, chugging the last of his coffee as he stood from the table. "You help the lovebirds pack and I'll be back with the equipment."

"Oh, Dean, please take this." Shoving the last bite into her mouth, she rushed to the gun safe she had exposed last night. Reaching for her throat, she was surprised to find nothing there, no necklaces. Her mind ran through the events of yesterday. She couldn't remember taking her jewelry off.

"On the dresser next to your bed," Sam answered her silent question. "I didn't want you to sleep covered in jewelry."

Caeley stared at him for a moment but decided to face that later when she wasn't feeling like a spaz. It was a matter of moments and the safe was opened, and she brought the stack of papers and money out for the trio to see. "People do pay me for my work. Take it, put it into the general fund. I'll need to close out my bank account as well. Here's my card. I don't want you paying for this." The witch held out a stack of cash and a debit card.

Dean couldn't help himself as he dropped a hand down on her head before taking the money. "Don't worry, kid, we got this. You’ll love the Batcave."

Caeley raised an eyebrow at the elder brother. "You do remember that I'm over twice your age, right?"

The Winchester grinned, slapping his brother on the back and making him choke on his coffee. Ignoring the coughing, he stated, "Well, Sammy here apparently is into cougars." He laughed uproariously at his own joke as he headed upstairs to dress.

The witch rolled her eyes before moving to clean up the table. She could feel the angel watching her. "Yes, Castiel?" She prompted. The woman was learning his reactions pretty quickly, which she felt would help in making sure they could communicate.

"Why is Dean comparing you to a large cat?"

Caeley giggled and shook her head, quickly washing the dishes. Just because she wasn't taking them with her didn't mean that she was going to leave them to fester. "A cougar describes an older woman who's interested in younger men."

"So because you are interested in Sam makes you a cougar," the blue eyed man clarified. He set his empty coffee cup down on the counter next to her.

"Exactly."

Sam rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile. At least she was patient with Cass. He had a feeling Charlie would like her. Speaking of which, he should call her. "Head up and start packing. I have a call to make and I'll be up." 

The lone female nodded, her thoughts whirring to life. Time to get everything together. She passed Dean on the stairs and began sorting the entirety of her life. What was worse for her was how little she seemed to have outside of her witchcraft. Her clothing filled up just over half of the trunk and her jewelry was stored with that. Other than her bed, that was all that was coming out of her loft unless any of the men wanted the other mattresses.

This led her to packing downstairs. She first emptied the gun safe, packing the hand guns into her clothing. The best she could without touching the specialized bullets was popping out the magazines, but she managed to pack everything safely and in accordance with the law. Her paperwork including family photos, deeds, and bank account information was packed as well. Caeley considered herself lucky that her family had left her sizable accounts when they passed. It was also easy not to touch them when your customers paid enough to cover all of your bills and the account just accrued interest. She should have enough to provide for herself for a long time with the Winchesters. She moved to her altar, cleaning up the offerings and carefully packing up each piece of symbolism. She would recreate the altar at her new home, making sure to leave extra offerings when they arrived to thank the gods for keeping her and her new friends safe. The witch resolved to make sure to leave an offering for Camalus as well, as she would have never survived the battle without his help. With that done, she moved to the bathroom, clearing out everything of hers as she went, leaving behind some generic stuff for hunters to use. There! That filled up one trunk… That's it? That was her life? She fiddled with the end of her braid at the thought. Eighty-five years old and her personal life fit into one trunk. The more she thought about it, the hunters probably had even less, maybe enough to fill a backpack or a duffle bag.

"You okay?"

Sam's voice startled her, white sparks going off out of habit but causing no harm, not even causing him to pull back away from her. "Sorry, reflex."

He chuckled, sitting down on the stairs in front of her. "I can understand that." He looked up at her, hazel eyes meeting warm blue. "Cass is outside with the chickens. He seems to like Freddie."

Caeley rubbed her forehead in mild frustration. "He's going to give that bird a complex," she grumbled. A thought suddenly occurred to her, picking up her head to meet his gaze. "We're alone in the house?" she asked, her voice barely more than a murmur.

The hunter immediately caught on. He moved closer, moving off of the stairs to loom over her. He grinned at the sight of her blush and the increase of her pulse that he saw in her neck. "Yeah, we are." His large hand came up and cupped her cheek, large enough that several fingers were warm against her jaw as his thumb stroked along her cheekbone. Without hesitation, he leaned down as he pulled her up towards him and covered her lips with his own. His free arm wrapped under her ass, pulling her from the ground to wrap her legs around his waist. He groaned into the kiss as her hands delved into his hair, pulling him and guiding him where she wanted. He retaliated by pressing her into the frame of the bathroom door where they were hidden from each of the entrances, pinned to the wood and stone by his large body, his hands on her ass to support her weight. Her softness was met by his hard edges, drawing gasps from each of them.

Caeley wasn't new to sex and had enjoyed several partners through her long life, but none of them would ever hold a candle to Sam Winchester. His strength was obvious in the way that he manhandled her and his care was felt through every meeting of lips. It was only their second kiss and she was addicted to him and his taste. This could be very good or very bad. She forced herself to pull away just enough, though their breaths mingled between them. "Are you sure you want to go down this path?" she whispered as she fought her own hands as they tried to bring him back to her. "I'm staying with you in your home. I can't ignore whatever this is between us, but I will walk away if that's what's best."

Her blue eyes burned with heat, despite her low power levels, forcing his breath out of him in a rush. He couldn't ignore this either. He needed to know. He freed a hand, supporting her weight between the doorway, one hand, and his hips. The free hand dove into her hair, pulling her back in as Sam's hips bucked up into her, swallowing her whine as his tongue tasted hers. They couldn't risk going farther, not with the definite chance of getting caught, but as soon as they were back at the bunker, he definitely would be making use of her large mattress. Until then, he was happy to enjoy making out against a wall. Something to hold him over until he could have her pinned beneath him.

Caeley pulled down on the man's long hair, shivering at the groan that escaped him as she exposed his throat to her. She dove in, being less than gentle as she bit at the skin, leaving harsh kisses and nips.

The Winchester's hips bucked up into her again, drawing a moan from the white witch. "Did you  _ want _ to leave marks?" he growled out, but he was at her mercy, unable to do anything else. He huffed out a breath as she laughed into his skin, not caring that he had caught onto her plan. Sam wondered if she enjoyed the roughness as well; would she take as good as she gave?

"You can always have Castiel heal them if they bother you," she murmured against his skin. She loosened the grip she had on his head, bringing his lips back to hers. There was no build up this time as mouths automatically opened and tongues tangled, pulling a whine from her throat at his taste. Her hips bucked into him, grinding against something that she had been looking for. If the man was as large as he felt, that alone was going to ruin her for anyone else. The way that he kissed and moved told her that he knew how to use his body to his advantage and she wondered what kind of things they would get up to. Caeley's hand dipped down the back of his shirt, harsh fingers leaving marks along the muscles of his shoulders and drawing another gasp.

"Caeley," he huffed before he moved to taste her skin. He smiled as he felt the shiver move down her spine as she whined again. He nipped her earlobe and wondered if her cunt tasted as sweet as the rest of her.

"Hey, I'm back!"

Dean's voice was a cold bucket of water over the two of them. As soon as she was on her feet, Caeley pushed the tall man into the bathroom and shut the door to give him a chance to pull himself together. "Do you mind giving me a hand?" she called back to the older hunter. She shoved against the trunk holding all of her belongings that sat at the bottom of the stairs. As Dean came around the corner, she smiled sheepishly at him. "It's kind of awkward to handle."

Dean stared at the woman for a moment, wondering what was off.

When the man didn't move, the white witch shoved the trunk away from the stairs. "Are you going to stare at me or are you going to help?"

Then it clicked and the hunter grinned. "I just caught you and Sammy making out," he stated. He could see it in the mess of her hair and how red and how swollen her lips were.

When the Irish woman couldn't deny it, she settled for sass. "You jealous?" She smiled and raised a copper eyebrow at the man.

As always, Dean had a response for everything. "Nope. You're way too scary for me." He then leaned over and picked up the trunk, surprised at its weight. "Is it full of feathers?" he asked, putting it down by the door.

Caeley laughed. "No, a charm to lessen weight. Are you aware of the game that's usually played by high schoolers, 'light as a feather, stiff as a board'? There is some truth to that." She turned to look at the mass of books and ingredients that covered the tall walls of the lower floor. "Were you able to secure a truck and trailer?"

Dean grinned like the cat that ate the canary. "Come see. They had to help me drop it off but they're already gone." He led the way out the open front door with the woman following behind him. Sitting in the large driveway was a full size moving van with an animal trailer hooked up on the back. "You said that you wanted to keep the truck due to the lack of iron, so I had a hitch put on Baby so we can tow your pick up. I also took a peek at the sheds for the animals. We should be able to pop the walls apart and rebuild them at the Bunker." Dean stopped suddenly as strong but thin arms wrapped around his waist, holding him tightly. He looked down at the mess of copper hair.

"Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me." She wished she had something better to say. 'Thank you' didn't seem to be enough. When she felt Dean's hand come down and rest on her head, she couldn’t help blinking back tears. She had no idea what she would do without these three hunters.

Finally in control of himself, Sam stepped out into the driveway, surprised what he found. He smiled at the sight of Caeley hugging Dean as tightly as she could, tears falling again. His brother had a hand on the woman’s head and on her shoulder. He could hear the words of thanks that she was murmuring and Dean said nothing, just letting her do what she needed to do. The other Winchester looked up, giving him a grin and pointed at the marks that now decorated Sam’s neck. “So, apparently I interrupted.” He jerked back as the witch pinched his side.

“As thankful as I am, don’t be an ass to your brother.” she said, brushing the tears away.

“Then I’m wondering what’ll happen when I tell you my news.” Both Caeley and Dean looked up and he watched as Cass came around the corner of the home, Freddie wandering after him, coming to stand with his brother. “So I called Charlie. She’s our own personal hacker,” he informed the witch. “ She was able to get into the police records.” He placed both hands on the small woman’s shoulders, leaning down to meet her eye to eye. “You are safe there. No charges will be following us.” Sam’s hands had to move quickly to catch her elbows, her knees buckling underneath her as she gripped his arms.

“Really?” The word came out choked and her eyes watered again. “Are you sure?”

Sam nodded. “It’ll still be safer for you to leave, but they will not follow you.” He dropped down to a knee and supported the woman as she threw herself at him. He chuckled as her laughter filled the air and tears wet his flannel. “You’re going to be okay,” he affirmed, holding her tightly.

The white witch wasn’t sure what was wrong with her; her emotions were everywhere today. The titanium spine appeared to be missing and her cool facade had slipped away. Instead, she was sobbing with relief and laughing. Pulling herself together, she pulled away from the tall hunter. “I’m sorry,” she giggled, wiping away her tears. “I’m just so relieved.”

“Well, with that out of the way, let’s get everything loaded up and get this show on the road.” Dean whooped and headed towards where Castiel was standing. “Come on, man.” He pushed the angel around the corner, purposely giving the new couple a moment.

Sam gently reached up and wiped away the tears that still clung to her lashes. She laughed more, unable to wipe the smile away from her face. “Let’s get moving,” the hunter told her. “We’ll let them take care of sheds. Why don’t we take care of the books and ingredients?” Caeley nodded.

“You know, this will be the first time that I leave my family home,” she told him as they entered the cool interior of the stone cottage. “But I’m excited about this.”

Sam ruffled her hair. He felt that he was seeing a different facet of the redhead’s personality. He had to remember that she had lost her family when she was young. She had never had anyone else to call friends or family. She may be over eighty years old, but she was still young at heart. No wonder Dean had called her ‘kid’. He and the woman stopped in front of the wall of books and the wall of ingredients. “Where do you want to start?”

“Let me get the trunks, first. Can you be ready to catch them?” She dashed up the stairs, disappearing into the loft.

“Catch a trunk?” Weren’t they heavy? He all of a sudden saw a trunk coming over the railing separating the loft from the rest of the home. “Whoa,” he jumped forward, automatically moving to catch the large chest. While it knocked the wind out of him, he was easily able to handle the weight. “What the?”

“Here comes the second one!” she called and the same thing occurred.

“Why are they so light?” He placed a trunk next to each of the shelves.

“They’re charmed to be very light. They don’t ever weigh more than they do now.” She came traipsing down the stairs.

“That’s handy. Okay, let’s get started. I’ll take care of the books and you take care of the ingredients. Can you open the grimoires?”

The rest of the packing proceeded seamlessly. The man and woman chatted easily, sharing stories and comments back and forth. They were both pleased with the fact they enjoyed each other’s presence as friends and not just wanting to strip off their clothing. Everything was packed quickly and efficiently, though she did have to empty out the trunk of extra clothing to be able to fit the last of the books and ingredients. Sam told her stories about the place where she would be living. He described the apothecary and the infirmary. He promised her good water pressure and even better Wi-Fi which made her smile. He told her about the grounds surrounding the building, telling her about the spaces that the nannies would be able to roam.

“How’s it looking?”

The witch and young hunter lifted the last trunk to sit outside of the home, meeting up with Dean and Castiel. The redhead smiled at the sight of the temperamental rooster following the angel. “I will want to do a last run through of everything. The only thing I couldn’t pack is my bed and mattress. You guys are welcome to the other two mattresses, otherwise they will remain here as the place will remain as a safe house for hunters. It’s already marked with devil traps and other things. I will have to let Bobby know that it’s open to the hunters. I’ll also let him know about the spell to seal it.” That could come in handy for the people sent this way if they were trying to avoid something, as the same runes were on the inside as well. As long as the doors and windows were shut and kept shut, they would be safe until they released the spell.

Dean jerked a thumb back at the stack of walls that had been the shed, coop, and barn. “Everything’s taken apart so we’ll just have to load it up and round up the animals. Sam, Cass, and I will get your bed out.”

Caeley nodded, following the trio of men back into the home. As she walked through the home, she realized that she wasn’t as sad about leaving as she thought she would be. Moving through the kitchen, main room, and bathroom, everything that she wanted to bring with her had been cleaned out. She moved to walk through the upstairs as the men had finished pulling out her bed and mattress. She meandered through the mostly empty space and found nothing else that she needed to take. Looking outside, the sun was barely starting to turn the sky different colors. The whole process had taken a lot less time than she had ever thought. She appeared to be ready to move at any time, she had just never realized it. Standing in the middle of the main room, she sighed and placed her hands on her hips, taking a final look for a long time, as she didn’t know when she would return.

“Ready to load up?” Sam’s large hand curled over her shoulder. He could see the emotions swirling in her large eyes but was surprised at the lack of negativity.

“Yeah,” she smiled up at him. “Let’s go. I’ll get the animal trailer ready then round up the ladies. Can you three load up the truck in the meantime?” Sam nodded as the two of them headed out front. “Let’s get on our way, twenty-six hours to the Bunker,” she called to the group.

The brothers looked at each other then at Castiel, all of them confused. “Did we tell you where the bunker was?” Dean asked, narrowing his eyes.

Grabbing a couple of bags of bedding to fill the trailer. “Um, witch?” She said it like that explained everything, which when the men thought about it, it kind of did. “If it makes you feel better, that’s about all I know. I can’t tell you where it is.”

Caeley sang as she worked, Gaelic lyrics circling the area, both calling the animals and bringing smiles to the men. She was even surprised when Castiel joined in on a few verses, his Gaelic flawless. The woman couldn’t help jumping out of the trailer, gabbing away in what amounted to total nonsense to the Winchesters as the two supernatural beings conversed. Sam remembered that she hadn’t spoken this language outside of her spellwork in about sixty years and couldn’t help but smile as they loaded up the last things into the van. Caeley returned to her singing as she led all of the animals, minus Freddie, into the van. Freddie, the stubborn little bugger, had attached himself to Castiel, clucking around his feet and yelling loudly whenever he saw something he didn’t like. This didn’t work out for the bird as the angel was able to scoop him up and toss him into the trailer. As the sun hit the horizon and set the sky ablaze, the group was ready to hit the road: Caeley’s truck was hitched to the Impala and all of the animals were safe and sound in the trailer.

“Alright,” Dean called as the four huddled up. “I’ll take Cass and Sam, you go with Caeley. We’ll go as far as we can and trade off as we need. Cass is the only one that can’t drive and, no offense kid, but I don’t want you driving my Baby.”

The witch gave him an exaggerated pout. “I grabbed my driving gloves and everything.” The older brother poked her in the side pulling out giggles as she stuck her tongue out at him. Sam shook his head at the two of them, but couldn’t help smile at their interactions. It was such a far cry from forty-eight hours ago.

Dean reached out and ruffled her hair. While she did still scare the shit out of him, he was growing to like the odd witch. He realized that he could say the same about Cass. What the angel was capable of scared him, especially if the celestial being ever turned his power on to the brothers, but he never had. What was different about Caeley was that she  _ had  _ used her power on him, even if it wasn’t to harm. While she had used it to protect them, it would take him a while to be comfortable with the fact that she could control him with barely more than a thought. One thing for sure, Dean was never taking off the leather bracelet.

Final checks and they were on their way. Sam took the first driving shift after giving Caeley a hand hopping up into the tall moving truck. The nice thing about driving was that he had control of the radio. He couldn’t help but notice that the witch seemed much more focused on the road ahead of them then watching the town disappear. “You’re really not upset about leaving,” he stated.

The Irish woman looked up from the map. “Not really.” She carefully folded the map back up. “The more I think about the town, the more I realize that I was never part of it, so there’s nothing to miss. It’s like Clara was saying, despite not wanting to agree with that woman to any degree,” she snarled at the thought. “I am lonely.” Her voice softened as she sat back in the seat, crossing her legs up underneath her. “I haven’t had any consistent companionship since my twenties. I’m sure you don’t want to hear this, but even my few bed companions were one-night stands. I would drive several towns away to a place where no one knew there was anything different about me.”

This surprised the hunter. He knew that a lot of men avoided powerful women, but the fact that Caeley had never found anyone, even just a friend was shocking. While he had his brother, he also had friends like Castiel and Charlie; there were people that he could count on when he needed it. “I can’t imagine it.” It was the only thing he could say. But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. The woman didn’t age and she practiced arts that few believed in. She had to keep herself separated from the general public to keep herself safe.

The female shrugged. “I’ve never known anything different.” She didn’t want to think about it. That wasn’t her life anymore and she wanted to focus on the future. “So, tell me, where are we actually going? Am I allowed to know now?” She grinned as she turned in the bench seat, putting her feet up between her and Sam.

He grinned, glancing over at her. “We’re headed to Lebanon, Kansas. It’s the exact geographical center of the continental United States. Have you ever heard of the Men of Letters?”

“Unfortunately.” Her mood shifted, her eyes glaring and brows furrowing. “They tried to take our grimoires several decades ago. That’s when I put the runes on my home to magically lock it. I went into hiding and, try as they might, they couldn’t break in. They are good with their Latin, but not their Gaelic.” Her eyes turned sad. “They killed my chickens. I’m assuming that they thought they were for my spellwork.”

Sam couldn’t help it as he wrapped a large hand around her ankle, his thumb slowly stroking the joint. “I’m sorry.”

“I had just lost both my mother and grandmother in ‘52 and they came around in ‘54. It was a lot in a few short years.” She shook her head, not wanting to dwell on memories. “So what about them?”

The hunter tightened his grip for just a moment before returning both hands to the steering wheel. “Dean and I found out a little while ago that we’re apparently legacies of them. Our grandfather was one of the last members.” He watched her for a reaction but was pleased to just see her nod to continue. “He was sent to us from ‘58 due to a demon, and we obtained a key from him. This key unlocked the base of the Men of Letters operations, their nerve center. Nobody had been in there since ‘58.”

Caeley simply stared at the man. They were in the nerve center of the Men of Letters. That was the ‘Bunker’ they kept talking about; Dean’s ‘Batcave’. “The information they have stored there. The things that they deemed to only be for themselves.” She remembered the stories that Dean had been telling her last night, referencing the library. She couldn’t imagine the library and archives. She also couldn’t help the thrill of excitement. “Imagine if they knew that a witch they had tried to kill, who’s knowledge they tried to steal for themselves, was now going to live in their Bunker.” She threw her head back, cackling.

Sam shook his head, smiling to himself. “You and Dean are going to get along just fine.” Time passed silently for a bit, only the radio and the sound of the road providing their soundtrack. Try as he might, there was one thought he couldn’t put out of his head. “So, Cass said that you were dreaming last night.”

Blue eyes widened and a blush burned across her cheeks as she sat straight up from where she was leaning against the back of the bench seat. “He said what?”

“Yeah, fun fact about angels: they can see your dreams.” He smiled at her, his hazel eyes burning hot. The Winchester wanted to know what she had dreamt about, especially since he had been informed it was about him.

“What did he say?” Seeing his gaze, she was now aware of his game. It made sense; he was as much about the mental aspect as he was about the physical; his intelligence was one of the things that was so attractive about him. She couldn’t help but grin at him, thoughts running straight into the gutter. Oh, the trouble they would get up to.

“Apparently you like pulling my hair,” he retorted. “And I know there was something to do with us having sex, but I had to tell Cass to knock it off at that point. He was talking in front of Dean and it’s also just plain weird knowing that he was creeping on your sex dreams.”

The redhead’s eyes burned right back. “Are you sure that you want to have this conversation while you’re driving?” she asked, her voice husky.

As the man thought about it, he wasn’t sure. Their attraction was very new and everything right now felt like foreplay. Until Sam could tumble her into bed, it felt like his blood would just run hotter and hotter. There were certain things he did want to know ahead of time, though. Might as well get them out of the way now. “We’ll start with this, do you top or bottom?”

Her grin turned downright feral. “I’m a switch, but I can’t wait to have you at my mercy. You?”

“Top, but I’d be willing to try.” He licked at his lips. “I’m assuming you prefer rough?”

“You assume correctly. I only end up frustrated if it’s not. Scratching, biting, hair pulling, accidental bruises are all fine by me. I draw the line at drawing blood and outright pain.” Caeley shifted in her seat, trying to release some of the heat that was gathering in between her legs.

“I know that you like to pull my hair.” He reached out and grasped her ankle again, his thumb swiping along the joint. He needed some physical contact with her if they were going to be talking about rules and limits. “Restraints?”

“I am heavily interested, but have never had an opportunity to play with them. Have you ever been bound?” She was sure that he could feel her pounding pulse through his touch. The witch was sure that she had never been this turned on in her life.

Sam shook his head. “I've used them on other people, but I have never been restrained.” He could imagine the sight of having the Irish woman spread out before him, unable to do more than take what he gave her. He wondered what it would be like to be bound and at her mercy. “You’d probably need to bind me to keep me at your mercy.” He wasn’t sure he could stand it otherwise, knowing that he could easily overpower her physically. “What about toys?” the male asked.

She let her head fall back on the seat. “I’m still very young for my age. While I haven’t had sex in over a decade, having toys can make up for some of it.”

It had been that long for her? Sam gripped her ankle tighter at the thought. “I’ll have to make it up to you for going that long.”

Caeley raised a copper eyebrow. “Well, you weren’t even of legal age the last time I had sex and with the way that we have been reacting to each other? Others could probably say that I waited for you.” She knew that he could misconstrue the comment, but the thought had crossed her mind more than once. “With what I felt earlier when you had me pinned up against the wall?” She smiled as she watched him stiffen and shift in his seat. Looking down, she could see it again, the large bulge against his zipper. “You’ll probably ruin me for anyone else for a long time.” Reaching with the leg that he wasn’t holding on to, she gently dragged her toes up the length of his thigh, following the outside seam of his jeans. To do much more than that would require unbuckling and she didn’t feel up to testing his driving skills tonight.

Sam’s breath rushed out of him at her touch. He had to pull himself together and remind himself that he could not just pull over on the side of the highway and have the two of them go at like teenagers. He was thirty, god damn it! He had made it through Hell, through being soulless, and a hell of a lot of other bad things. He could make it until they had a real bed to fall into.

Sharp blue eyes took in every detail of his reaction and she couldn’t help but lick at her lips and crossing her legs, dislodging Sam’s hold. “This is going to be fun. But I’ll be good and stop.” It was getting late and she was still recovering from the severe magical drain. It would take another night or two of rest before she had rebuilt her stores of energy. “Are you okay to keep driving?” she asked honestly. It was a twenty-six hour long drive and she worried about the brothers pushing themselves to finish it. Unfortunately, the angel wasn’t able to drive, so she was the only one that could switch out as needed.

He smiled at her, his blood running a little cooler. “I’m good. I’ll wake you if we stop or need to switch.” He relaxed even further when he saw her smile and settle down into the bench seat. It wasn’t long after her eyes closed that she had fallen asleep. Unable to help himself, he wrapped his hand around her ankle again, just feeling her pulse beat against his fingers. Enjoying the quiet, her smell, and her presence, he settled into the drive, watching the lights of the Impala ahead of him.

It was well after midnight when they decided to pull off the road and grab a motel for the night. It would be safer in the long run. Unfortunately for Sam, there was only one room available. As he climbed down from the truck, he watched Dean be the only one that emerged from the classic car. “Cass head out?”

“Yeah, a few hours ago. Said that he’d come see Freddie soon.” Dean scrubbed a hand over the back of his head, yawning loudly. “She awake?”

The younger brother shook his head. “She crashed a while ago. I’ll check on the animals and I’ll bring her in.”

“Want me to take her?” Dean asked, looking up at the cab. He could make out copper hair though the window in the light of the street lamp. He couldn’t help but be somewhat surprised when Sam agreed, remembering how protective he had been yesterday. Dean realized that it was probably because the woman wasn’t hurt this time, just tired. “I’ll get her settled in your bed then I’m going to crash.”

“She packed an essentials bag. I’ll bring that in with me.” Sam turned from his brother and entered the animal trailer through the door towards the front. It didn’t take long to make sure everyone was safe, settled, and had enough food and water for the overnight. He couldn’t help but smile at the rooster who pecked at his feet. With that done, he headed into the room. Dean had laid claim to the bathroom and had already tucked Caeley into bed. Sam sat down at the end of the bed, stripping off his boots, and clothes, leaving him in his t-shirt and boxers. Noticing that the woman was still dressed, he set about making sure she was comfortable. “Hey,” he gently shook her shoulder.

Bleary blue eyes opened, the female barely awake enough to see the man in front of her. “Sam?” she murmured.

“We’re crashing for the night. Do you want to get cleaned up?” It took a moment for her to process the question before she nodded, sitting up. “Do you have something to sleep in?” The woman paused again before shaking her head ‘no’. “I’ll give you a shirt. You’ll be more comfortable.” She nodded, barely awake as he gathered up the flannel that he had just stripped off, pushing it into her hands. Perfect timing as Dean exited the bathroom, a cloud of steam following him. Caeley shuffled in, closing the door behind her.

“Hard to think that she’s three times your age,” Dean said, yawning again. “You keep having to take care of her.” He flopped onto the bed, sighing. “Caeley’s beds were much nicer.”

Sam grinned before giving off his own yawn. “She put a lot on the line for us, and all we ended up doing for her is forcing her out of her own town. It’s the least we can do.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just make sure you’re good to her. I don’t want to see what’ll happen if you screw this up. She’d probably turn you into a rooster then you’ll have to live with Freddie.” The older man couldn’t help but chuckle to himself at the idea, Sam rolling his eyes.

The woman in question shuffled back out of the bathroom, Sam’s flannel shirt making her look even smaller than she actually was. Without a word, she tucked herself back into the bed and was asleep before her head hit the pillow. The younger Winchester shook his head before heading to clean up himself. By the time he exited the bathroom, the lights were off and Dean was snoring. Sam was happy to climb in bed with the current object of his affections, but this time, he pulled her against him on purpose and not in his sleep. Their legs tangled and with feeling her warmth, he quickly fell asleep, more content than he had been in a while.

Caeley dreamed again. Her mind was filled with the idea of Sam’s hands on her, holding tightly. She dreamed of his mouth leaving marks on her this time as her breath rushed out in whimpers. The redhead was lost as she ran her hands through his long hair, fingers twisting and holding tightly as her head was thrown back, lost in her pleasure as her legs wrapped tightly around his bare waist.

The tall male wasn’t sure what woke him up. The sun had barely started to rise and they had a few more hours before they wanted to wake and get on the road. He tightened his arms around the woman in bed with him, curling tighter against her when he heard it. “Sam,” she whimpered. He sat up a bit, looking down at her. Caeley’s face was flushed but she didn’t appear to be having a nightmare. He heard the whimper and his name again, accompanied by a breathless ‘please’. A grin came to his face. She was dreaming about him again. Unable to help himself now that he was awake, he gently dragged a few fingers down her face, tracing the contours. She whined at his touch, stirring. She whispered his name again, but this time in confusion.

“You were dreaming,” he told her, cradling her face in his hand.

Caeley looked up at the hunter. The way that he was looking at her right now, it set every part of her on fire. She turned in his grasp, laying on her back alongside him as he sat up over her. Her eyes were lidded as her hair fanned across the pillowcase. “Yeah,” she breathed out. Unable to help herself, one of her hands dove into his hair, twisting the strands around her fingers. “I’m guessing that you want to know what it was about?” she murmured.

Sam leaned down, dragging his nose down hers in a caress. “I think I know.” His thumb dragged across her cheek one more time before leaning in, swallowing her gasp in a harsh kiss. Conscious of Dean asleep in the other bed, he would make sure to keep her quiet. His hand travelled down from her face, gently stroking along the curves of her body. At the feel of flannel, he remembered how he had her dress in his shirt. His breath left him in a rush as he fisted the fabric, drawing her even closer as he moved to lean further over her. 

Caeley opened her legs some, allowing one of his legs to slip between hers. She whined against him, her free hand clutching at his back as he pulled her leg to wrap around his hip. Unable to help herself, she bucked against him, her core dragging against him, separated by only the fabric of her panties and his boxers. Sam encouraged this, slipping his large hand under her hips and pulling her up to meet him. He didn’t want to pin her with his weight just yet, but he was barely holding himself back as he dug the hand supporting him above her into her hair, pulling to bare her throat to him as he released her lips. He made good on his revenge for her marks on him, decorating the column of her neck with nips and sucking kisses. The man shushed the witch as she groaned, bucking against him again at the flood of emotions and heat. He dropped her hips onto the bed, grinning at the whine that left her chest unbidden. He moved back up to her ear, nipping at the lobe.

“I want to see it. I want to see what you look like when you cum,” he hissed, pleased when she nodded her head, lost in the haze of pleasure that had enveloped them both. With her permission, his hand pulled the flannel up, exposing her belly and underwear. He quickly silenced her with a deep kiss, knowing that she needed to say silent to keep from waking up Dean. His fingers slid under the band of her panties and through trimmed hair. Sam gave off of a low groan of his own to find her slick and heated. He pulled away from the kiss, watching the woman carefully as he began to explore. He was able to quickly find a rhythm that left her burying her face into his shoulder, trying to suppress her reactions. Feeling her buck against his hand, he slipped one, then two fingers into her weeping core, hissing when the action caused her to bite him on the shoulder, trying to quiet her noises of pleasure. Curling his fingers up, he found the spongy wall of flesh that would make her sing for him. Between that and pressing the heel of his hand against her clit, he was able to watch as she quickly fell to pieces below him. Her head was thrown back, eyes wide and unseeing as she gasped. Her hands both gripped tightly at his hair, not trying to move him but using him as a lifeline as she was lost to the pleasure that overwhelmed her, hips bucking into his hand. Slowing his movements, he helped her ride the wave as long as she could before gently removing his hand from her oversensitive flesh, hushing her with another kiss. “Breathe,” he murmured, listening as her gasping slowly ceased and the shudders that wracked her body came to an end. Caeley brought her eyes to meet his, biting her lip as she watched as he took the fingers that had been inside of her and cleaned them with his mouth, his tongue curling around the digits and he remembered his thought from yesterday: she was just as sweet as he thought she would be.

“We should go into the bathroom so I can take care of you,” the witch whispered. “We’ll be less likely to wake up Dean.” Her hand trailed down his belly before using the tips of two fingers to gently drag over the length of his cock, hard enough to be tenting his shorts dramatically, and drawing a hiss out of his throat. Sam couldn’t think. Just the barest touch and he was unable to stop the jerk of his hips towards her hand. He should wait, though. He should wait until they have a room to themselves, where they could appropriately devour one another. He wasn’t sure he would be able to wait though. Just that simple, gentle touch was enough to have him rethinking his whole plan. She could see him waffling back and forth. Unable to help herself, she brought her mouth to his ear, nipping at the lobe. “Please?” she breathed. That was all it took to break him, the blankets being tossed off and a large hand wrapping around her wrist as he practically dragged her to the bathroom. She at least had sense enough to remember to quietly close the door and turn on the switch for the bathroom fan. That would give them some cover for noise.

Sam watched as the small woman turned and moved towards him, caught in a predatory gaze of blue. He didn’t realize that she had been guiding him backwards until he was leaning against the sink. His hands moved to either side behind him, grasping the cold porcelain. Was this what it felt like to be at her mercy? She hadn’t even touched him yet and he was practically panting for her. “Caeley,” he murmured, her name coming out wrecked and she hadn’t even started. The Irish woman smiled, coming across as both soothing and as if she was ready to eat him whole.

The witch gently shushed him, before helping him pull off the t-shirt he still wore, his hands automatically returning to holding on to the sink. She wrapped her hands over his wrists. “Keep your hands there,” she ordered, her voice staying soft and wrapping around the male even without the use of magic. “I’ll let you fuck my face on another occasion. Right now, just let me take care of you. Okay?” Caeley wasn’t sure how he’d react to this, but she wanted to try. Her thumbs gently stroked the skin of both wrists, waiting. She needed him to agree to this before she moved forward. She didn’t want to push him if he wasn’t ready for this. If he said no, she would let him dictate the rules of this encounter. If he wanted to stop, that would happen. The woman would never push him into something that he didn’t one hundred percent agree to. Looking up at him, she smiled as he gave her a nod. He was willing to try. With that, she began to seduce the man all over again.

Standing on her toes, she was able to lay kisses along his collarbones, making sure he was able to see what she was doing and where she was going. With the fact that he had never been in this situation before, she didn’t want to push him too far. Her hands traced the lines of his abs, drawing gasps from his lips and twitches from the muscles. Her mouth moved to follow the center of his body, starting with going down his sternum then the defined line straight down his belly. As she moved downward, she couldn’t help but swipe her tongue through his belly button then through the pleasure trail that decorated his skin. Small, gentle hands pulled at the band of his boxers. It was teasing at first, accompanied by nipping kisses along his Adonis lines. Caeley could feel his groans more than hear them. As she dropped to her knees, she pulled away for a moment, just long enough to pull the fabric away, revealing what had caused the tent. She had to take a moment, just to take in the beauty that was this man’s cock. Looking up at Sam, she could see the flush across his cheeks, the dark lust in his eyes, and how tightly his hands were gripping the sink behind him. “I was right,” she breathed, “You  _ are  _ going to ruin me.”

Sam wasn’t sure what to do. All he did know was that he didn’t want the small woman to stop. He wanted her hands and mouth back on him. He was already leaking precum and wasn’t sure how long he was going to last once she started. Large hands tightened on the sink, reminding him that he wasn’t supposed to touch her. It seemed to make everything so much more intense. No wonder people enjoyed being in restraints so much. He watched helplessly as she finally swallowed his erection. The tall man bit his lip, doing his best not to close his eyes because he didn’t want to miss a single moment of this. Her lips were stretched obscenely around his girth as she worked on swallowing as much as she could.

Caeley slowly worked over his length, moving carefully and smoothly as she took as much as she could. She couldn’t help but moan around him as his hips thrusted into her mouth against his will. She used one hand to work over the thickness she couldn’t fit into her throat, her saliva working as a decent lube to ease the gestures. She could hear the groans that he was doing his best to suppress and when she rolled her eyes to look up at him, she whined around his length at the sight that met her. The man was utterly wrecked, his eyes heavily lidded as he gasped for breath. She could see the strain in his arms as he clutched at the sink, trying to follow her orders. The witch pulled off just for a second, though her hands never stopped moving. He was getting close, she could feel it. It would just take a bit more to push the male over the edge. Caeley didn’t take him as deep this time, focusing her attention on the head. She pressed her tongue up just under the ridge of the head, applying pressure right where he needed it. Groans were escaping his lips now, his breath and heart racing. His hips thrust against her, unbidden and unable to help himself. One more hard suck and he broke. A strangled cry left his throat and a hand left the sink, burying itself into her hair as he thrusted deeply once, twice, and thrice. With that, her throat was flooded with his salty release. The redhead swallowed again and again, breathing heavily through her nose as he held himself deep. She patiently waited for him to allow her to back off. It took a moment, but he released her, allowing her to clean up the last of her prize. She sat back on her heels, gently stretching out her jaw to cut down on the ache. The man definitely had a concealed weapon there.

The hunter could do nothing but breathe heavily, slowly putting himself back together. He appreciated her giving him time.

The witch pushed herself to her feet, straightening out the flannel she wore. It was then that she noted that it was the same one that she had seen Sam wearing yesterday. Unable to help herself, she brought the collar up to her nose, breathing deeply to absorb his scent. If he allowed her, she would have to continue to steal his flannels for sleeping.

The male watched and couldn’t help but smile as he watched the female. She was just encouraging his behavior at this point, with how she was reacting to being dressed in his clothing. He yawned, ready to climb back into bed and sleep a few more hours. Sam gathered the female up in his arms, hugging her tightly to him and lowering his head to bury his face in her hair. Her arms came up and wrapped around his waist. Now that he thought about it, this could be either much better or much worse. Now that the edge had been taken off of his lust, this could be an easier trip to handle, or it could be worse knowing what he now knew, making him want more and more. No matter what, he just had to hold it together until they arrived at the bunker. They had eighteen hours left of driving, but it would depend on what stops they would make and how well the animals continued to travel. He sighed, tightening his arms around the woman. He was too tired to think about this right now.

Caeley pulled away just enough to look the man in the face. “Come on. Back to bed with you. I'm going to shower, take care of the animals, and go find us some breakfast." She smiled as he grumbled an affirmative. Tucking his cock back in his boxers, she was able to get his shirt back on and have him settled back into bed. By the time she had reemerged from the bathroom and was dressed for the day, he was fast asleep. She shook her head, smiling as she pulled on her shoes to complete her tasks for the morning. Unable to help herself, she pulled on the flannel shirt over her knee length linen dress. The fall morning was cool and it would be perfect to keep her warm.

The witch returned over an hour later, coffees clutched in her hands and bags of food from the local diner looped over her wrist. Seeing the men still asleep, she shook her head, but couldn't blame them in the slightest. They had driven until late, trying to return home as soon as possible. Caeley divided up the food, veggie omelette for Sam and meat lovers for Dean and plenty of coffee to satisfy all three of them. She hummed her usual lullaby, watching the two men. She was surprised that Dean hadn't woken when she returned, but looking closer, she realized that he was much more awake than not. Continuing her humming, she stood by his side. Her intuition pushed her to stand out of his reach and when she called his name, she noticed why. On reflex, the hunter shot up out of bed, a large knife clutched in his hand. It took him a moment to realize that it was the redheaded witch that had woken him.

"I have coffee and breakfast for you," she told him softly, bending at the waist to look him in the eye.

Dean stared at the woman for a moment before putting down the knife. Sitting up, he scrubbed a hand down his face. "Time is it?" he slurred, reaching for the coffee in the woman's hand.

"Almost eight. I thought you would appreciate breakfast while it's still hot." She turned and sat down on the edge of the other bed, gently running her fingers through Sam's hair, the lullaby flowing from her lips again. She smiled as the man scrunched up his nose and hid his face in the pillow.

"Come on," Dean called, "Your woman brought us breakfast." He swatted his brother as he walked by. "Let's go." He laughed as he watched the younger man flipped him off. He headed into the bathroom. He was glad to see that neither member of the couple had denied his comment.

Sam sat up, groaning and rubbing at his eyes. He opened them to find sapphire blue orbs watching him, her gaze soft. "Morning," he yawned out.

Caeley hummed out her response, gently carding her fingers through his sleep ruffled hair. "I found healthy options for breakfast for you." Standing up, she couldn't help but press a chaste kiss to his lips, pleased when he returned the affection. She meandered back to the table, setting out the food. She had been very happy to be able order an Eggs Benedict, something she hadn't been able to enjoy in a while. The woman couldn’t help but moan as she took her first bite, Dean laughing at her as he mussed her hair and sat down. Sam dropped into another seat, reaching for his own meal. They laughed as they ate, hearts light with mirth.

It wasn't long before they were fed, packed, and on the road again. Caeley and Sam took the truck again, talking about their lives, trading stories, or about the music on the radio. Sometimes they simply lapsed into silence. While Dean appeared to be a machine when it came to driving, the two of them traded off every stop. They decided to grab another motel room, wanting to be able to get the animals off of the trailer right when they arrived at the Bunker.

Caeley sang as she moved through the animals. Only Freddie seemed to mind being cooped up. The hens had made their nests and were sitting on eggs. The nannies had gathered together, enjoying the extra hay. Freddie, the little bugger, had plenty to say about not being allowed out and about and refused to listen when told that he would be free to roam as soon as the witch had set up the new boundary stones.

"Hush, Freddie. You'll wake up the neighbors." It was late and the two men had already headed into the room with supper, waiting for her. She had simply wanted to make sure that the animals were settled in for the night before joining them. The stubborn bird had other ideas when he had seen the witch. The rooster squawked and hollered his anger out at the witch, making a huge fuss and refused to be settled. Caeley rubbed at her eyes, tempted to shut the bugger up with magic.

"Oi! Shut the fuck up in there!" Heavy fists banged on the trailer, sending all of the animals into a tizzy.

"Thanks, now go away," the Irish woman snarled. The goats were bleating in fear and hens had woken, squawking and rustling in their nests. Freddie seemed to take this as an attack, hiding himself among the goats to remain unseen until he could strike out at the visitor.

The door over by the goats flew open and a large, intoxicated biker stumbled into the trailer. "What the fuck are you doing?" His reddened eyes looked confused as he took in the farm animals.

"None of your business," she snapped, "Get out." She kneeled down in between two of the goats, gently humming to calm them, her magic weaved into the Irish tune.

Heavy boots thudded closer. To protect her animals and keep the bastard rooster from escaping, Caeley's magic quietly closed the door. She also sent out a tendril of magic to wrap around Sam's wrist, curling around it like a soft hand that gently tugged him in her direction. That would alert him that something was going on.

"Why you out here by yourself?" He slurred, staring confused as Freddie landed himself on top of the goat next to the witch, squawking his displeasure.

"Taking care of my animals. Now leave." She drew herself to full height, now backed by the large amount of power she held as she waved him away with a casual gesture. The power that she held usually kept mere mortals far away from her, realizing something was different about the Irish woman, even if they didn't know why. This one, it would seem, had drunk himself stupid and was too far gone to notice that there was something different about her.

A lecherous grin pulled across his lips. "How about I take care of you?" He reached for her but stumbled as one of the goats bumped into him, working to keep the woman safe. He snarled as he fell in the hay. "Dumb ass goat!" He reeled a fist back and that was all she could stand. She wouldn’t tolerate anyone hurting another person or any creature in front of her, especially not one of her animals. Her power circled him as her eyes glowed, her hand moving in a circling motion to stop the man in his tracks and shutting his mouth, his voice grating at her nerves. At the same time, the door behind him burst open, the large hunter bounding in.

"Caeley," he reached for her, observing the scene. "What happened?"

"He went to hit Frigga. I stopped him. Can you help me remove him? He wouldn't listen the first three times I asked.”

When Sam had felt her magic pull him, he hadn't originally understood what it meant. Not until he remembered that she had done the same thing during the fight with Clara. She couldn't control him or move him, not with the leather bracelet, but he could still react to the magic she carried. "Did you silence him?" The Winchester asked, bending to observe the drunkard more closely. Beady, bloodshot eyes were terrified as they watched the hunter, probably wondering what was happening and why the man wasn’t helping him. As much as it bothered Sam that the man was caught in the witch’s magic, it also bothered him as to why it didn’t bother him as much as it should. Maybe it was because he understood why? Maybe it was because he had gone after the woman, had tried to hurt her and the goat. Caeley had also said that she tried to warn him off multiple times. The Winchester sighed, running a hand through his hair as he stood up and held the trailer door open for the woman. It was something he’d have to think about, maybe talk over with Dean. Dean would understand. Or maybe he would twist the whole thing out of proportion, just making things worse. It was either or when it came to his brother.

"Yes, I was tired of listening to him." Caeley worked her power to force the man to stand and shoved him out the open door to faceplant on the asphalt, Sam keeping all of the animals in the trailer. "Why did Dean choose a motel next to a bar?" She didn’t enjoy dealing with drunk people. While her one night stands usually happened at bars, she never partook herself. Her life required too much control. She couldn’t afford to lose control. Drinking with Dean the other night had been a freak occurrence for her, and had only happened because he had poured the liquor in her coffee without her consent. The woman’s eyes dragged themselves over the hunter beside her. Maybe she could give up a  _ little  _ bit of control, but only with Sam. She had a feeling that she would feel safe enough with him to be able to.

The male flushed at the reminder, running a hand through his hair as the two of them watched the drunkard stumble away in haste. He wondered what the man would remember and what he would make of it when he was sober. "Apparently he heard us this morning. He said that he wanted a chance for his own fun so he didn't have to listen to ours."

The white witch rolled her eyes. "Told him he was jealous," she muttered, turning to finish settling in the animals. Apparently that adventure was enough fun for Freddie as he had calmed down, finding a spot amongst the other chickens.

"What?"

The word of shock made the woman grin. "When he caught us at my cottage, he seemed thrilled and was poking at us about it. I asked him if he was jealous. His response was that I'm 'way too scary' for him." She stopped in the doorway as he stepped out, the raised step enough to put her at his height so she took advantage of it.

Sam shook his head as her arms rested on his shoulders, feeling a few fingers messing with the hair at the nape of his neck. "We'll, despite what Dean may think, I've always been able to handle more than he can."

She shuddered as his hands wrapped themselves around her hips, holding her still. The woman forced her voice smooth, pleased when it came out like velvet to wrap around the man, even without the influence of her magic. "So, Sam Winchester, you believe that you can handle me?" She bit her lip, her eyes lidded and shining in the light of the street lamp.

Grinning, he dragged the tip of his nose along her jaw, pleased when she tipped her head back for him. "I know I can." To punctuate the statement, he nipped at her jaw and slid his hands down to grab her ass, pulling her flush against him. He wasn't surprised to hear her giggle and gasp, enjoying the sensations. Moving to nip at her ear, he continued. “We will have the motel room to ourselves for a while.” His tongue traced the outline of her ear and his hands massaging her ass as he kept her hips pressed against him. Sam’s mouth then moved along her throat where he nibbled along her carotid. “I’ll show you how well I can handle you. I’m going to eat you alive,” he warned.

Caeley whined and bucked against him as her knees buckled at the roughness of his voice and lecherous words. Her hands tightened in his long hair, pulling him closer to make sure that he didn’t stop. She wanted more: more of his words, his touch, anything he was willing to give her. She had a feeling that she’d be submitting to him tonight.

The Winchester pulled back suddenly, catching her hand to make sure that she didn’t fall with the loss of his support. Her cry of desperation made him consider simply taking her in the truck, but he had decided that it would have to be a bed. That’s what he had decided and he was sticking to that. The man had given in this morning, but it was time to show her what he was capable of. “Come on, let’s eat.”

It took several deep breaths and holding onto her amethyst necklace, but she was able to calm herself. How could she think of food at a time like this? He had her all twisted up and hyperfocused on him. The only reason she made it back to the room was because Sam had pulled her along behind him.

“Hey,” Dean called, looking up when the pair had entered the room. “What happened? Sam went rushing out of here like a bat outta hell.”

“A drunk man had decided to accost me in the animal trailer. I thought it would be better to have someone else to help. I ended up having to use magic to remove him when he tried to hurt one of the nannies. I didn’t have time to wait.” Caeley pulled out her titanium spine and cool facade as she opened the pizza box. It was the only way she was going to make it until she could be at the young hunter’s mercy.

The elder brother looked up, his mouth full of pizza. “What’d you do to him?” He seemed wary as asked.

The woman rolled her eyes. “I didn’t kill the bastard, since that’s what you’re wondering. I didn’t even hurt him. Sam can attest.” Caeley waved a careless hand as she shoved down the anger and hurt, not wanting to deal with it. She knew that it would be a while for the men to trust her. Her eyes grew sad as she turned away, wishing that they would just stop assuming the worst about her. Hardening her gaze, she shook her head and bit into the greasy pizza. Unable to help herself, she clutched at the amethyst charm again, needing the calming energy in a different way now.

Dean, despite being thick headed, could see the tension in the woman. What had he said this time? Scarfing down his pizza, he decided that he needed to get out of here and get to the bar next door. He’d leave his brother to deal with the witch. Shoving another slice in his mouth, he washed it down with a beer. “Alright, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“I have a feeling that doesn’t leave much off of the docket,” was the woman’s response though she still didn’t turn to look at him. He laughed and took off out the door with a cuff to his brother’s shoulder, leaving the couple to it.

The room had an awkward silence to it, tension from the female filling the space. Caeley put down her pizza, not even able to go through the pretense of eating at the moment, needing to calm down first. She wished for a cup of tea made with blessed herbs. That would have done the trick, but everything was still packed up. She gripped the edge of the table with both hands, breathing deeply and focusing on only that. Sam watched the woman from where he sat on the edge of the bed. He had seen her reaction and realized that it was the same one she had when they had first met, when Dean had accused her of the killings back in Scituate. He waited for her either to speak or to settle down. He wouldn’t start until he had her focused.

“Do you think your brother can go without accusing me of killing or hurting someone?” she asked suddenly, a sad laugh filling her voice despite the seriousness of her question.

The question saddened Sam as well, especially as he remembered his thoughts from the trailer, so he tried to think of the situation in a different mindset. She had called him for help, reaching out as soon as she knew something was up. If he had arrived before something had happened, he would have physically removed the man from the trailer. Now that he thought about it, that was all that she did: stopped the drunkard from causing harm and removed the idiot from the situation. The only thing that had set him off about it was the fact that she had used magic to do it. He had grown up believing magic as a bad thing, something that was used to cause harm and caused people to do bad things. But so did the physical power that he was capable of, having made his body into a tool to kill monsters. People abused their physical strength all of the time, using it to hurt other people. He shook his head, pushing his own thoughts out of his head, but he felt better with making the connection. “Dean is hard headed. He could probably be the king of hard headedness. It’ll be hard for him. He’s coming around though. At least you two aren’t threatening each other now.” Sam gave her a soft smile, reaching out to take her hands in his and pulling her to stand in front of him. “Now, may I continue?”

Caeley had never believed that hazel eyes could burn this much until she met Sam. She couldn’t help the whimper as his gaze set her skin aflame, kindling the fire that hadn’t been snuffed out, even with the anger and hurt she had experienced. “Please,” she murmured. Her hands clutched at his, seeking out his touch and they hadn’t even started. He turned the grasp around, wrapping his hands around hers tightly enough that she couldn’t pull away easily.

“Do you have a safe word?” the man asked. This was a rule they hadn’t discussed yesterday.

“Color system: green, yellow, red,” she answered easily. It was easy to use, most people recognized it, and it wasn’t something that would be used in normal sexual conversation.

Sam nodded. “I want to tie you up.” He had remembered to stuff lengths of rope into his duffle from the Impala, having semi-planned this once he had learned of Dean’s intentions.

While her heart pounded, the witch knew that it wasn’t from fear, but excitement. “Oh gods, yes,” she breathed. She longed to grab him and pull him into her, but his hands still held hers fast.

Heat flooded through the male and he was rising to the occasion as he let the woman go. “Take off your dress,” he ordered, resting back on his hands on the bed, outstretched arms propping him up as he spread his legs. “I want to see.”

Caeley rushed to obey him, pulling off the flannel shirt she still wore from earlier then reaching for the laces on the back of her dress. While it wasn’t a true corseted dress, there was enough support to contain her breasts without the use of a bra. With the laces loose, she allowed the sleeveless dress to fall to her feet, leaving herself bare except for a pair of plain cotton panties. Her breath heaved in and out of her chest as she mentally begged for him to touch her. She was proud enough to keep her arms by her sides, though her hands were clenched into fists, baring herself to the man in front of her for the first time while forcing herself to not reach for him.

The Winchester couldn’t help the groan that rushed out of him at the sight. Her breasts were high and tight, capped with dark pink nipples. Her waist was trim and flared out to her wide hips. While not having been physically training, her work in the garden and with the animals kept her in good shape. Once they taught her self-defense, the woman would be a force to be reckoned with. Shifting his weight to one hand, he crooked a finger at her, encouraging her to step between his legs. “Unbutton my shirt and take them off.” While still orders, the words were heated. At the feel of her hands trailing down the center of his chest as she unbuttoned the flannel he wore over a white t-shirt, he was reminded of being at her mercy early this morning. He couldn’t help but grin, hoping that she enjoyed being under him as much as he had enjoyed being under her control earlier this morning. He helped with removing the shirts by holding up his arms. As soon as he was free, he held her hips, pulling her forward until her knees hit the edge of the bed. “Hands behind your back and keep them there,” he told her before he leaned forward and pressed hot, open mouth kisses to the flesh of her belly and up her ribs. Sam knew that she wanted to touch him and this was affirmed when a high pitched whine was pulled from her throat as she grasped her wrists behind her back, forming her own shackles. His grip on her hips was the only thing that kept her still as she attempted to writhe underneath his mouth, gasping as he nipped at the under-side of her breasts before he took a nipple into his mouth. Looking up, he was awarded with the sight of her head being thrown back and seeing her bite her lip, whimpers forced out of her throat with every breath. As he bit lightly down on the nub, his hands moved to slide up her back to keep her where he wanted her. His mouth continued to move, never staying in one spot for more than a few seconds as he used his lips, teeth, and tongue to drive the redhead wild.

Her nails were like claws in her own skin, holding tightly and trying to listen to his orders. She was on fire beneath his hands and mouth and he continued to fan the flames higher and higher. As he sat up straighter to reach up to her collarbones and neck, he pulled her flush against him. Feeling the heat of his skin against hers for the first time, it was almost too much. A cry burst from her lips, torn from her chest as she leaned heavily into his hands. She forced herself to look forward, wanting to see what the giant of a man would do to her next.

Sam’s breath rushed out of him at the tortured sound the woman had released, finally deciding to stop rallying against the noises he pulled from her body. Good. He wanted to hear her. Still supporting her, he pulled away enough to look the woman in the eye. Her breath rushed in and out of her and he wasn’t sure if he had ever seen her eyes so heated as they watched him from under heavy lids. His voice was soft but not lacking strength as he gave his next order: “Lay back on the bed, hands over your head.” The Winchester waited until she gained her balance before standing and moving to his duffle. He removed a length of rope as well as a condom, placing both on the nightstand for the moment. His eyes focused on the pale skinned woman spread out before him. For the moment, her hands clutched the headboard, a reminder that her hands were supposed to be out of his way.

For a moment, the man just watched. It took all of Caeley’s willpower to not move, to not writhe under his gaze. While he watched, she continued to burn. “Sam,” she whined, looking for anything to help extinguish the flames.

His name. That’s what it took. Leaving on his jeans for the moment, but shucking off his boots and socks, he kneeled on the edge of the bed beside her. “I’m going to tie your hands to the headboard,” he explained, not wanting to surprise her with anything. Sam then waited, watching for her agreement. At her nod, he was able to deftly and quickly loop the soft rope around her wrists then to the headboard, leaving only an inch or two of play in the thick cording. Pulling on the restraint himself, he was able to see they were tight enough that she wasn’t able to pull free. He pulled a pocket knife out, showing it to her. “Just in case,” he told her as he lay it on the nightstand beside them. You never knew what would happen if a knot was tied incorrectly or if she pulled it too taught to undo it. It was always better to be prepared in case of an emergency.

Caeley watched as the man moved. He settled down on his knees by her feet. By the look in his eyes, it seemed that he truly intended to eat her alive. She started when his hands wrapped around her ankles, pulling her further down the bed until her arms were taught, pulling a cry of surprise from her lips. He matched it with a chuckle before he started his slow torture. He began at her ankles, stroking the skin with his fingers and working his lips, teeth, and tongue into the game as well. He smiled against the skin as he had to tighten his grip, the woman trying to pull away. In response, he hovered at the tender skin there longer before working his way up. His fingers drew invisible patterns that were followed by his mouth, weaving his way up the inside of both of her legs. As he spread her legs apart, teasing up the insides of her thighs as he worked higher and higher. His hands moved to hold her hips still as she tried to buck her hips into him, silently begging him to stop the torture and give into what she wanted. He could hear her whines and gasps, prompting him to raise his head from where he lay between her thighs. Blood rushed through his veins at the sight that greeted him. Her head back and her chest heaving as whimpers left her throat. Her hands and wrists strained against his bindings. Sam had the feeling that her hands would have buried in his hair, directing him where she wanted him if he had not bound her. He decided that it was time to reward her for being patient.

The woman picked up her head to look down at the tall hunter just as his mouth sealed over her core, ignoring the fact that the fabric of her panties covered his prize. The cry he wrenched from her echoed in the room and he had to loop an arm over her hips to pin her to the bed as she bucked up into him, grinding into his face. He grinned down at the redhead, enjoying the sight of the woman completely at his mercy. This powerful woman, always so in control of herself (unless you took into account her dealings with his brother), could do nothing except wait for him to decide what his next step was. He was going to make it so she could think of nothing but him and what he could do to her. He wanted to see her lose total control, handing it all over to him. Sealing his mouth over her covered core, he could taste her fluids soaking the cloth. Wanting to tease her some more, he held her hips down and his teeth found the edge of her panties. A patch of copper hair was revealed as he tugged down the band with his mouth. Her whines and gasps filled his ears, prompting him to want to push her some more.

“What do you want?”

Caeley forced her eyes open, picking up her head to look up at the man. He had raised himself up over her on all fours, his hands resting on either side of her while his knees still rested between her thighs, propping her open for his viewing pleasure. When had he moved? “Hm?” She was too lost in his heat, not processing his question.

His lips moved to her ear, unable to help nipping at the lobe. “What do you want?”

The witch bucked her hips up, trying to catch any friction that she could get but he was too far away for it to do any good. “Take them off.” She huffed out her order. The woman wanted her panties off, convinced that he had kept them on only to help keep himself in check.

Sam pulled himself back, sitting on his heels as he watched the woman. If she was going to try and top from bottom, he would put her back into place. So he sat, waiting, unable to help pressing the heel of his palm to his cock as it bulged against his zipper. She had to learn that he would take care of her, but when he was in charge, her defiance would not be tolerated. He was the one who gave the orders right now.

The redhead could do nothing but watch as the man pulled away from her, then stared at her as if he was waiting for something to happen. What had she done? Her sluggish thoughts slowly caught up now that she wasn’t lost in the haze of pleasure. Why had he stopped? Her mind started to whir again, going through the last few moments. Then it came to her. She closed her eyes, thumping her head back into the pillow, upset with herself. “I’m sorry,” she murmured.

This caught the man’s ears, prompting him to move over the woman again, nipping at her neck harshly in punishment, pleased when he saw blood rush to the surface as a bruise. He hoped that it would still be there in the morning. “What are you sorry for?”

She hissed, tossing her head back at the feel of his teeth and pulling at her bonds. “I gave you an order.”

“Are you supposed to?” he growled out, biting her earlobe.

“No,” she answered, unable to help bucking her hips again, still desperate for his touch.

“What do you want?” he asked again, pulling away to remain on all fours over her. The Winchester would start from where he had left off. His eyes burned as they took in the woman, his blood running hot at the sight. She had flushed from her cheeks down to her chest. Her body seemed to be wound tight, as if a simple touch would make her snap.

“Please take them off,” she begged. “Please. I need you.” Her voice came out needy and with a whine. This was not a sound that you would expect to come out of the powerful witch.

Sam grinned. That’s what he wanted: the begging. Sitting back up again, and with a little help from her, he pulled the cotton panties from her hips, revealing the copper patch of trimmed hair over her core. While he had felt the muscles of her cunt clench around his fingers earlier, it was another thing to see it. The muscles seemed to expand and contract with each of her breaths. Using his own knees, he kept her open wide for him. His fingers were gentle as he began to explore the tender flesh. She was already soaked and dripping, easing the entrance of two fingers. This wrenched another heady cry from the woman and she clenched around his fingers. She may be closer to cumming than he had originally predicted. “Shh,” he soothed. He removed his fingers, ignoring her resulting desperate cry. She would be crying out for a different reason in just a moment.

Caeley picked up her head, watching as the man rearranged himself. One of his arms tucked under her thigh and looped around her hip to press her pelvis down into the bed, his large hand keeping her from moving. This was the only warning she had before he proceeded to devour her whole. He was so much larger than her, it felt that his mouth was able to completely cover her core. Sam’s tongue alone was able to touch places that her own fingers couldn’t reach. The sounds leaving her throat were noises that she hadn’t believed that she was capable of making. This wasn’t the first time a man had gone down on her, but this was the first time that someone was able to anticipate what she needed or wanted and did so with such enthusiasm. “Please!” she cried, bucking into his face and pulling hard enough on her bindings to make the headboard creak. She was rewarded with his grip on her hip tightened and two fingers sliding into the depths of her core.

“Fuck,” Sam cursed, unable to help himself. The taste of her was beyond anything that he had ever experienced, she was so sweet. The witch was tight enough around his fingers that he had to limit it to two. Was she going to be able to handle being stuffed full of his cock? He would worry about that in a moment. First, he wanted to see her give in to the pleasure he was providing. “Are you going to cum for me?” he growled out, answered by a whine and a clench around his fingers. Remembering their conversation yesterday, about her need for roughness, he dug his fingers into her hips as he thrusted his hand in and out. A nip around her clit and the woman fell apart. Pressing his thumb to the sensitive nub, he slowed his fingers to keep her flying as long as she could. He couldn’t look away from the scene. Watching her cum had to be one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen.

The headboard shuddered as she pulled, the ropes tight around her wrists as she both tried to press into him and pull away, wanting to continue the pleasure and being overwhelmed by it. If this was what the man was able to do with his mouth and a couple of fingers, what on earth was he able to do with the rest of his body? Slowly, the female returned to earth, shuddering as Sam’s hands continued to play with her body at his leisure. Her breath continued to huff in and out of her as she squirmed in his grasp. “Sam!” she gasped, lifting her head to meet his gaze. “Please!”

The hunter’s eyes rolled into the back of his head at the sound of his name: so desperate, begging beautifully, as if she couldn’t hold on without him. That one word flooded heat through his body and he couldn’t wait any longer. He sat up on his knees, looking down over the woman as he cleaned her slick from his fingers, his tongue seeking out every trace. “Are you sure?” It would be hard to stop once he started, so he wanted to make sure he gave her every chance he could.

Twisting her wrists within their binds, she could do nothing but nod, whimpering out ‘please’ with nearly every breath. The witch was sure she would die if he didn’t take her and fill her to the brim with his cock. If she hadn’t thought it would upset him, she’d have wrapped her long legs around the man and pulled him back to her. Instead, she could do nothing but watch as he stood from the bed. Caeley’s eyes devoured the man as he stood where she could see him. He slowly unlatched his belt, unlooped the button, and pulled down the zipper. He removed his jeans and boxers in one movement. While she had seen him early this morning, she couldn’t help but have the air knocked from her lungs at seeing him again. Her memory of earlier in the day had not been wholly accurate. He was even more gorgeous than she remembered. She started when she heard him chuckle. Had she said that thought out loud?

Gorgeous was not a word that he would apply to himself, but the truthsayer must have believed it was real. But there wasn’t time to think about that. It was time for the main event; what they have been dreaming of since they had first met. He was looking forward to feeling himself bottoming out in that snug cunt. The man couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at his lips. He had been enjoying her reactions to the dirty talk, so he’d have to continue that. As long as she kept begging him, he would happily give her what she wanted. He started by ripping the condom packet open, making sure to slowly and deliberately apply it, watching the effect on the woman in front of him. The longer he made her wait, the more agitated she appeared to be becoming. With how she was pulling on the restraints, he would expect her to have bruises tomorrow. Now, he would take the woman and make her his own.

Caeley let out a cry of surprise as she felt large hands grab onto her hips and flip her onto her belly. Sam continued to arrange her to his satisfaction and she couldn’t help but feel her arousal ratchet up several notches as she was brought up on her knees, her hands still bound in front of her so she only had her elbows to support herself on. Gods, she loved being manhandled in bed. Samuel seemed to almost be a gift from the gods in that moment, everything that she looked for in a lover, wrapped up into one beautiful package. Her long braid fell over her shoulder onto the bed as she turned to look at the large man. The witch shuddered as soon as she felt his hands grip her hips and felt his knees settle between hers. “Sam, please!” she whined, pressing back with her hips and gasping as she felt his length brush against her sopping core. It was  _ finally _ going to happen. She was going to feel the man split her in half just like what was happening every time she dreamed.

Since she had been reminded, she had been doing very well at begging. She hadn’t tried to top him at all. He needed to reward her for that. For the first time being together and only needing one correction, that was astounding. And it wasn’t like they had discussed what would happen previously. She had no idea what to expect from him other than what he had told her in the moment. They were meshing together better than he could have believed. Unable to help himself, Sam grasped her braid, forcing her back to arch as he pulled. He leaned over her back, nipping at her neck and ear. “Sure you’ll be able to take me?”

The witch moaned at his low voice. “Oh gods, I want you to break me in half, please!” she cried out.

Sam grinned, “I’m going to make you mine.” Letting go of her hair, he grasped the base of his cock. Using her ready and available slick, he gathered up her fluids to ease penetration. He then slowly began to press into the woman’s depths. He made sure to hold tightly to her hip, his hands large and strong enough to hold her still.

She was reminded of how she had referred to his cock as a ‘concealed weapon’. She spread her knees farther apart as the man continued to move slowly, his other hand moving to press down on her back to pin her to the bed at the angle he wanted to see. She recalled how her hand had barely wrapped around three quarters of his girth and how her jaw had ached after trying to swallow him. There was no pain, not with how he was taking his time and making sure that she was tolerating the intrusion but he was definitely stretching her beyond her limits. She had never had anything this large inside of her, not even the largest of her toys had stretched her out this far. Keening noises left her throat with every breath, and if she was being honest with herself, she could probably cum from the pressure of his cock and just a few taps to her clit. She tugged at her hands again, unable to do just that. Caeley then tried to buck back into the man behind her, succeeding in taking another couple of inches of him before he was able to stop her, probably worried about hurting her.

The Winchester grasped both of her hips tightly, the sudden bucking of her hips having startled him. The woman would be the death of him if he wasn’t careful. He might be the one in charge and in the process of mounting her as he kept her pinned, but he had to check in. “I’m about halfway. Can you take the rest of me? Color?” His voice was tight as he held himself reined in.

“Yes, please. So fucking green. Don’t stop. Fuck, don’t stop, please,” she begged. Caeley wished that she was allowed to move, to do anything, but the hunter held her firmly. Right now, she would be willing to give him anything as long as he finished what he started. She wanted him so deep inside her that he never wanted to leave. She had no idea if she would survive him stopping right now. Her very life felt like it hung in the balance as her breath heaved in and out, cries ringing through the room on every exhalation.

Sam’s grin was dark as he slowly began to thrust in and out, gentle in his strokes as he moved a little deeper each time. “Are you that desperate for my cock?” He was encouraged by her wail. It appeared that his little witch was a vocal thing in bed. He’d have to remember that as sound had the propensity to travel through the bunker. He began to piston his hips a bit more, moving deeper and deeper into the woman. “Fuck, you can take it deep.” With a final few thrusts, his hips banged into her. He was as deep as he could go in the small woman.

“Oh, gods,” she breathed. “Shit, you feel so good. Please, don’t stop. Please. Oh, gods. You’re going to ruin me. Please.” The vulgar words fell unbidden from her lips as she pushed back into the man as hard as she could, begging him to start moving. He still held her fast and her restraints didn’t leave her enough slack to press against the wall or the headboard.

The muscles of her cunt held him tightly as she had stretched to her limits to take him. After giving himself a minute to pull himself together, Sam proceeded to make the woman his. Pulling back, he slammed his hips back into hers, one hand leaving her hips and wrapping her braid into his fist. All of his strength went into pulling her hips back into him, keeping her tight in the bonds while pinning her to him. It gave him the feeling of possessing her completely. The woman was certainly enjoying it as well. 

She had never been dominated like this: kept still and mounted, forced to accept all of the pleasure he was giving her. This is what she was looking for. This is what she was hoping, wishing, and begging for. She wanted him to ruin her for anyone else. Her mind was empty, and everything she was had focused on the intensity of pleasure, and the man who was forcing her to withstand it, pushing past her limits. Before she realized it, an orgasm was ripped from the deepest part of her. Her muscles spasmed and her back arched. Choking on her breath was the only thing keeping her from screaming his name to the heavens.

Sam threw his head back in a groan as the woman’s body gripped him like a fist. He wasn’t going to be able to last through very many of those. He was able to make it through one more, but the third orgasm was what did him in. The hunter gave a few more bruising thrusts to extend her pleasure, then shuddered as he emptied himself into the condom. He had a moment of slight disappointment, wishing he had spilled into the woman instead. He forced the thought from his mind as he wrapped an arm around the waist of the witch, bringing her down on her side in front of him as he collapsed into the bed without pulling from her depths. He didn’t want to leave her warmth just yet. She appeared to be lost in her haze of pleasure still, bringing a smile to his face as he felt her body continue to shake and shudder, whimpers of pleasure reaching his ears.

Sam reached for the binds that still held her fast to the headboard. He chuckled when he saw how tight she had pulled the knots in her fight. “Good thing I grabbed the knife.” With her history, he wanted to make sure that she was watching what he was doing. Grabbing the knife behind him, he then tilted her head up to fall against him so she could see what he was doing. He could feel the hitch in her breathing, but otherwise she had made no remark. Her keen eyes watched as he easily sliced the ropes, freeing her hands. Tucking the knife away, his large hands gently rubbed at the marks on her wrists. He was right in assuming that she had bruised herself, but she was moving her fingers to regain feeling in them, proving that there shouldn’t be any lasting damage. As much as he would like to simply drop off to sleep, he had to finish taking care of the woman. That was part of being on top: the aftercare.

The man pressed a kiss to her neck as he gently pulled himself from her depths. His fingers gently stroked the skin of her arm as he heard her hiss at the loss. He stood from the bed, dropping the used condom in the trash as he moved to the bathroom, coming back out with a damp washcloth and a full cup of water.

Caeley watched the man. He was taking care of her? Why did this surprise her? Since she had met him, that was all he had done. She sat up as he sat on the edge of the bed. Sam started by cleaning off her face. She hadn’t realized that she had shed tears during her orgasms. He then moved to clean between her legs. The woman had ended up dripping down her thighs in her pleasure and she couldn’t help but smile. He then took the time to make sure that she finished the glass of water, supporting the cup as her hands continued to shake and tremble as the water soothed her parched throat. This was the most relaxed she had felt in a long time. She reached for the hunter, threading her hand into the hair at the back of his head. The redhead pressed a slow kiss to his lips, pleased when he automatically opened up to her for their tongues to tangle. She was able to still taste herself, pulling another groan from her. The rawness of it enough that she was tempted to try and coerce him into a second round. If only she hadn’t been so wiped by the earlier play, she would have. It had been too long since she had the stuffing fucked out of her. She couldn’t help but hope that it would occur on a regular basis.

Sam laughed against her lips. Pulling away, he ran a hand through her mussed hair. It was barely held in the braid. She would have to take it out and rebraid it. Dropping the cloth on the nightstand and leaving the empty cup beside it, he crawled into bed and moved to lean against the headboard, pulling the woman to rest against him. He wrapped a long arm around her as she settled with her head over his heart. “Feel better?” he couldn’t help but ask as he traced the line of her arm with his fingertips.

The woman smiled, chuckling. “Well, you did just put an end to an almost fifteen year dry spell.” She shook as his chest vibrated with his laughter. “But yes, I feel much better.” She had a question at the tip of her tongue. She wasn’t sure if it was the right time to ask, but it would continue to burn her brain if she didn’t. “Do you think -” She cut herself off, trying to figure out the best way to ask.

The hunter looked down at the woman using him as a pillow, raising an eyebrow. “Do I think what?”

Vibrant blue eyes focused on the man, sitting up some to look him in the face. “Do you think this is it? Or do you think we’ll end up back in bed again?” She knew that either would be a possibility. She knew that she hoped that this would be frequent and even a regular event for the two of them. She also knew that she would go along with whatever he wanted, no matter her own feelings on the matter. Caeley was used to laying with a man only once, but then she never saw them again. Sam, she would have to see on a daily basis. With knowing what she did now, it would be impossible to see the man and not remember what he had felt like as he pinned her to the bed.

The man laughed, letting his head fall back against the headboard. “I’m not going to be through with you for a long time, at this point.” He wanted to explore this, whatever it was. It amazed him when he felt the tension bleed out of the woman, allowing her to relax into his grip as her head settled over his heart. He wondered if she had realized it. Reaching out, he grabbed the remote from the nightstand, eventually finding a sitcom to put on the television. He had time before he expected his brother to come back, so he didn’t plan on moving anytime soon.

The witch’s mind wandered through nothing in particular as she watched the characters move on the TV. She didn’t own a television, so she never followed anything. The only regular technology she had used was a smartphone that she owned. The service had been enough at her home to complete her home deliveries, but she didn’t have anyone to contact or reach out to. She couldn’t help but wonder if Dean or Sam would put their phone numbers in her phone. They would be the second contacts she ever had, only previously having Bobby’s number.

Sam gently pulled the tie at the end of her braid out, his hand sliding through the now free locks. He noted that while her hair was straight, the fact that she always kept it braided back made it look like it had waves and curls. Did she ever leave it loose? Putting those thoughts aside, he was enjoying the quiet. It was something that he didn’t get to experience very often, definitely not in his line of work. The two of them sat in silence and he eventually pulled the blankets over them, hiding their nakedness in case his brother came in from the bar. He just hoped that if Dean decided to hook up, he didn’t bring them back to the motel room. After several episodes of the show, he realized that the woman leaning against him had drifted off to sleep, perfectly content using him as a pillow. In the dark of the room, lit only by the television, he could see her eyes moving behind her lids and her fingertips twitched against his skin. She was dreaming again.

The male yawned, wondering how he would be able to shift the woman to allow him to fully lay down. A heavy thud against the motel door startled him, waking up the witch. A female giggling and a man’s low laughter rang out into the night. Sighing, Sam rolled out of the bed, snatching up his boxers and tossing a flannel shirt to the female. Making sure that she was covered, he opened the motel door, jumping quickly out of the way as two bodies fell into the room.

Apparently, it had been a bad idea for Dean to be leaning against the door when he was kissing the blonde woman he had found in the bar. He landed heavily on the cheap carpeting, the tall blonde landing on top of him. “Shit,” he ground out, the alcohol in his blood keeping him from feeling any pain. The bar had been stocked with some decent whiskey for a change and the woman on top of him… Becky? Yeah, Becky. She had kept him drinking, feeding him shot after shot.

“Dean?”

The elder Winchester finally took notice of the tall man standing over them “Hey, Sammy,” he greeted. The woman took the chance to start nibbling on his neck. She was distracting him. “This is Becky.”

“It’s Rachel,” the woman giggled. At least she wasn’t upset about him not remembering her name.

“Oh yeah, this is Rachel.”

Sam rubbed at his eyes in frustration. This was just like his brother. He wouldn’t have cared so much if he didn’t have the witch with him, but he wasn’t going to make her leave just because Dean wanted to get laid. He was surprised when the redhead came and stood next to him, crossing her arms over her chest as she yawned.

“Hey Cae! Did you have fun screwing my brother?” He grinned up at her. Dean realized that if he tilted his head a little more, he could see straight up the loose flannel she wore. “You must have, you were still naked.” He was doing a good job of ignoring the woman on top of him to focus on the pair.

The male automatically pressed Caeley back a step, removing her from his brother’s perverted gaze, just in case he did remember this in the morning. Sam was not okay with sharing the witch. “Alright, come on. We have to get on the road in the morning.” He hooked a hand around the blonde who wobbled on her heels as she stood up straight, most likely so drunk that she wasn’t totally aware of what she was doing with the hunter. He then heaved his brother to his feet. “Can you take care of her?” he asked of the redhead, referring to the woman. “I’ll get the idiot to bed.” He ignored the grumbling that came from his brother.

The witch waved him off, turning to the tall blonde. “Rachel, my name is Caeley. Were you at the bar alone?” She was glad to see that the woman shook her head ‘no’. “Okay, who was with you?”

“A couple of girlfriends.” She swayed on her heels, enough so that she had to be physically caught so she didn’t fall over.

Caeley took the moment to guide her over to a chair, handing her a full water bottle from earlier. “Drink,” she ordered, glad to see the young woman do what she was asked. “What are their names?”

“Lisa and Amanda.” Foggy brown eyes tried to focus on the small woman, but she was having trouble thinking.

“Okay, do you have your phone? Can you open it for me? I want to call them.” The woman nearly dropped it, but was able to open it and pass it over. It was a quick search and Caeley was able to locate the phone number of her friend. “Hello, is this Amanda?”

_ “Yeah, who’s this? Where’s Rachel?” _

“She’s right next to me. She followed my boyfriend’s brother to our motel room and I wanted to make sure that she was returned to you safely. Would you like to speak with her?”

_ “Yeah, put her on the phone.” _

She held out the phone, watching as Rachel fumbled with it again, unable to hold onto it. “Here, let me put it on speaker, that might be easier. There. Can you hear me? Rachel’s right here.”

“Hello, bitches!”

_ “What did you get yourself into, girl? Where are you?” _

“We’re at the motel right next to the bar. Room 23 if you want to come grab her. I’ll leave the phone on so you don’t lose contact.” Placing the open phone on the table, she pointed a finger at the blonde. “Don’t touch.” Turning back to the phone, she spoke to the girls on the line, as she could hear the blonde’s second friend. “The door is open, we’re just inside.” Standing up straight, Caeley set about making herself semi-presentable. She would be crawling back into bed alongside the tall hunter as soon as this was over, but if there were people coming, she wanted to at least be covered. She buttoned Sam’s flannel versus just wrapping it around her, thankful he was so much taller than him, because it meant the fabric fell to her knees. She also set about braiding her hair, preferring not to sleep with it loose. A knock on the door turned her around. “Amanda and Lisa, I presume.”

The two brunette women nodded before looking relieved as they found their friend, really drunk but no worse for wear. “Rachel, I swear, you’re such an idiot.”

Caeley shook her head, turning as Sam returned from the bathroom, Dean on his heels, down to his t-shirt and boxers. She turned back to the three women. “I’m sorry about the idiot here. Do you need help getting her to your car? I’ll let you know that I did give her a bottle of water, but she’ll need more of that to stave off the hangover.”

“She deserves whatever hangover she gets, running off with a stranger. Thank you for calling us.” Between the two friends, they were able to get her safely out to the car and Caeley shut the door, putting on the chain and turning back to the brothers.

“What the hell were you thinking?” the witch snapped, eyebrows pulled down in a harsh glare. “If you weren’t so god damn drunk right now, I would actually expect a response.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She waved her hands carelessly, waving the man away. “Just stay the hell away from drunk girls, deal?”

Sam shook his head, a soft smile crossing his lips. He pushed the drunk man towards the second bed, watching as he crashed into the mattress with a groan. “Go to bed, jerk.”

“Bitch,” came the automatic reply, the man already falling asleep.

Turning the lights back off, the tall hunter crawled under the covers. The witch was sitting up on the side of the bed, looking out towards the window that looked over the parking lot.

“Is your brother always such an idiot when it comes to finding bed partners?”

“Usually. There isn’t usually a chance to find regular partners in this life.” He lay on his back, tucking his hands behind his head as he watched the woman in the light of the television.

“Am I the first woman that you’ve brought to the Bunker?” Her question came out as simply looking for information, no judgement.

“Yes. We’ve kept the place away from everyone. It’s not really a Batcave if everyone knows where it is.” She fell silent again but he could see the wheels turning in her mind. He waited, she would talk when she was ready.

“If he’s too hungover, can I drive the Impala?” She grinned over her shoulder, pulling a laugh from the male and a snort from the sleeping hunter. “Even asleep, he protests.”

Unable to help himself, Sam reached and hooked a long arm around the middle of the witch, pulling her into him. He smiled as he heard her giggle. Tucking themselves in under the blankets, they shut the television off. Settling in, the man wrapped himself around the female, realizing that this was quickly becoming one of his favorite places to be.

It was still early when Dean rolled out of bed, scrubbing a hand over his face. Why was he up so early? His stomach rolled and a wave of nausea washed through him. Oh yeah, that’s why. He stumbled into the bathroom and emptied the contents of his stomach. Flushing away the evidence, the hunter washed his face. Why had he let the woman keep feeding him shots like they were water? Looking into the mirror, he couldn’t remember what had happened. The last thing he remembered was the blonde straddling his lap in the bar. What happened after? Stumbling back to the bed, he looked over the sleeping couple. Sam was awake but hadn’t started moving. Caeley was fast asleep, curled into his brother’s grasp. 

Sam had woken when he heard his brother stumble into the bathroom. Too many years as hunters led to being woken at anything out of the ordinary. Once he realized what he was hearing, he decided not to move, keeping himself curled around the witch. They seemed to fit together easily. Her head tucked right into his neck and she could be pressed against his chest with their legs tangled together. When they weren’t sharing a room with his brother, they probably could make use of the erection he usually had when waking up. For the moment though, he would simply enjoy the quiet as he tightened his arm around her.

“What happened last night?”

Sam laughed into Caeley’s hair, bringing a whine from the woman as she began to wake up. He stroked his fingers across her cheek, soothing the woman as he pulled away. He yawned and stretched as he sat up. “You don’t remember bringing Rachel back here and falling into the room?” He couldn’t help but chuckle at Dean’s blank look. “Dude, how much did you drink?”

“I don’t know, she kept giving them to me,” he answered. He ran a hand through his hair. “Where is she now?”

“Caeley called her friends to come pick her up. The woman could barely stand.” Sam swung his legs off of the bed, facing his brother. “What were you thinking?”

“Apparently, I wasn’t.” The elder brother sighed. He was too hungover to have this conversation. “We need to grab something to eat before we get back. We only have a few more hours of driving.”

The witch rolled over to face the two brothers, curling up into what had been Sam’s pillow. “Sam told me I could drive the Impala if you were too hungover.” The grin she gave told them that she was just trying to stir shit up. She shrieked as Dean responded with throwing a pillow at her, his aim perfect even as affected as he was.

“Nobody drives Baby but Sam and me; get over it.” He couldn’t help but smile as the woman launched the pillow back at him. “Go take care of the animals and we’ll get going. I’m sure that they want out of the trailer.”

Sam watched as the woman rolled out of bed, clothed only in one of his flannels as she gathered up her clothing from last night and moved to her bag. She pulled out a clean pair of underwear as well as a different linen dress, this one a pale green. As usual, this one had laces up the back to provide support without a bra. He had watched her untie the dress herself last night, but all he could think about right now was unlacing her himself. He couldn’t tear his eyes from her as she disappeared into the bathroom.

“Dude, you’ve got it bad.”

The younger Winchester focused his attention on his brother. “Shut up.”

Despite the distractions, the animals were fed, cared for, and the trio were on the road. Dean managed to find a diner that had greasy enough food to settle his stomach and strong enough coffee to please the witch. They even had healthy ‘rabbit food’ for Sam to be happy.

“What do you need to settle in the animals? We should be able to locate a feed store to provide most of the stuff, but there’s no fencing or anything.” Dean, slightly more coherent than earlier, took a sip of his coffee in between bites.

“I don’t need fencing. It wouldn’t keep Freddie from wandering away anyway. I just need to set up boundary stones. It’ll keep the animals in and I can always set them up as an early warning system as well.”

“How would you do that?” Sam asked, focusing on the woman next to him.

Pulling a pen from her bag, Caeley grabbed a napkin from the table. “It’s dependent on the symbol carved into the rock.” Drawing a vertical line, a triangle was drawn on either side, the top corners landing on the line. On the bottom of the left triangle, she drew three lines and then five lines on the right. “This one means ‘to contain’. I’ll carve this into several rocks that’ll surround the area. Once I invoke the sigils, not even Freddie will be able to sneak out. I just have to make sure that I don’t use too much power or I’ll trap you two in as well.” She smiled up at them, though it quickly faded at the look of the two men, watching her intently. Taking a deep breath, she pulled back her shoulders to straighten her spine. “This is one that we can use to protect our area and it’ll warn me if someone breaks the circle.” This symbol appeared to be very different, probably coming from a different background of magic. “It’s not going to look quite right with a pen, but I can give you an idea.” The diamond-like shape, open on one side, had a rectangle within it, a corner touching each side as the rectangle was cut in half with a line. Several flourishes finished off the piece. “There.” She turned the napkin so the two of them could see.

“How many symbols like this do you know?” Sam asked. He opened the napkin so he and Dean could see both sides. While the hunters knew sigils to deal with demons and angels, they never had access to anything like this.

The witch shrugged. “It depends what you are looking for. I can usually find something if given enough time.” She turned her gaze to her plate, picking up her fork to move food around on her plate. If she hadn’t been on the inside of the booth, she would have left and found somewhere else to be. She wasn’t used to hiding anything about herself; people who came to see her came to see a witch. These men weren’t used to working with witches so she needed to remember that. If she pushed too far, it could end disastrously for her. She was dependent on these two men currently. Until she found a safe place in the world again, she would have to be.

“What else can the markings do?”

Her head shot up, surprised at the question from Dean. “Th-they can do almost anything. The sigils are a power within themselves, but when invoked with magic they can provide some pretty powerful enchantments: can make a room soundproof, support healing, improve accuracy.” She shrugged and turned her gaze back to the plate in front of her, suddenly not very hungry at all.

The elder hunter grinned, gesturing to his brother with his cup of coffee. “We should have found a witch to work with a long time ago. You better never let her go.” His smile broadened as a blush colored the man’s cheeks as he rolled his eyes at his older brother.

Caeley raised an eyebrow. This was the man who had accused her of hurting someone last night. Unable to help her temper, she bared her teeth in a not-quite smile. “Glad to be of use to you,” she muttered.

Dean and Sam both looked at the woman, surprised at the snarl. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Dean asked.

The redhead closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. “Let me out,” she told the younger brother. She really wasn’t surprised when he didn’t move, leaving her trapped in the booth and with the height of both the men, going under the table wasn’t an option. She couldn’t help but be frustrated with herself for passing the leather bracelets to the men, as she couldn’t force herself out. She lowered her voice to a hiss, sounding very much like an angry snake. “I’m not going to tolerate being accused of hurting people in one breath then be considered of use to you in the next. You need to make up your mind as to how you’re going to treat me. Am I a danger or an asset? I’m not going to be considered both.” She directed her words to the elder of the two men. “I will give you my word that I will never knowingly harm anyone. I have already promised to do whatever I can to keep you safe. But I need you to stop assuming the worst of me. Other than the events that you had been witness to, I had  _ never _ harmed another person.” Her breath huffed in and out in her heightened emotions. She turned her gaze to the brother beside her. “Can I get out now?”

Sam was surprised to see her eyes filling with tears. Despite wanting to keep her nearby, he knew that she needed a moment. He nodded, standing and allowing her to move past him. The two men watched as she headed to the bathroom.

“What was that about?” Dean’s sharp eyes had missed nothing about the exchange. He had seen the tears and the stiffness of her spine.

The younger hunter sighed as he sat back down in the booth. “She was really hurt when you accused her of hurting the drunk guy yesterday.” He took a sip of his own coffee. “Because of that, she knows you don’t trust her.” Setting down his cup. “Dean, she’s coming to stay with us for the foreseeable future. You  _ agreed _ to let her stay in the bunker. You have to at least mostly trust her to let her in there. The only other person that’s been there is Cass and he’s family.”

The Winchester sighed, knocking back the last of his coffee. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

“No, not ‘yeah, yeah, yeah’.” Sam leaned forward in the booth, crossing his arms on the table. “You’ve seen how powerful she is. If she really wanted to hurt us, she would have.”

“She could just be waiting until we get there,” Dean snapped. His gaze moved back towards the bathrooms, where the door still remained shut.

Sam raised his eyebrows. Now, they were getting someone. “She can’t lie, dude. She got herself basically thrown out of her own home for us. What more do you need her to do?”

The elder brother dropped his head into his hands. “Nothing, Sammy, nothing.” He sighed, sitting back in the seat. “What do you want me to do?” he finally asked.

Hazel eyes met his brother’s intently. “Stop accusing her of hurting people when she hasn't done anything wrong. That’s it.” At the sound of quiet footsteps, he looked up to meet his lover’s eyes, unsurprised to find them hard and cold like ice. Sam moved further into the booth, allowing her to slide in beside him without the possibility of being stuck. Unable to help himself, he gently rubbed a hand down her back, attempting to sooth her.

Caeley appreciated his efforts, but right now, she simply wanted to get on the road and get settled into her new home. “How much longer do we have on the road?”

“About four more hours. We should be arriving right at noon.” Sam ran a hand through his hair. It appeared that the woman was more upset than he thought. She had shut down emotionally for the moment.

“I’ll go get the animals ready.” With that said, she headed out of the diner.

The younger man sighed, watching her leave. “This is going to take a while,” he grumbled. “Come on, let’s get going.” He reached out, the back of his hand batting his brother in the shoulder as he followed after the upset woman.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Caeley walked through the farm animals, checking in on everyone. “Only a few more hours, my darlings. We’re almost there.” Her magic fueled lullabye curled into creatures, calming them. She turned as she heard her name called from the door. “Hello, Samuel.” The woman brought her attention back to one of nannies, Hazel, who was looking for attention. She couldn’t help but smile. They were always so attuned to her moods and knew when to offer affection.

“I’m sorry about Dean.”

The Irish woman looked up at the tall hunter. “You shouldn’t apologize for him,” she murmured, still petting the goat.

Sam leaned against the wall, his hands shoved in his pockets. Something about her behavior was off to him. It took him a moment, but then it struck him. He knew that he could do something that would help. Pushing off of the steel wall, he moved towards her. He grasped her hand and gently pulled her towards him. She moved with him, waiting to see where he was going with this. She was surprised when he simply wrapped her up in a tight hug. It took a few seconds, which didn’t surprise the male, but she wrapped her arms around his waist, her hands bunching up the thick fabric of his flannel. Her ear rested over his heart, and one of his hands ran up and down her back in soothing gestures.

When was the last time she had been offered physical comfort that hadn’t come from one of her animals? She believed that it was when her family had still been alive. That thought made her hold onto her lover even tighter. He didn’t seem to mind as she simply held on and he even encouraged it, tightening his own grip. As he leaned against the wall of the trailer, he pulled her with him. One hand moved to her hair, gently petting over the top of her head. The hunter remained quiet, letting her cling to him. After several minutes, she slowly pulled back, feeling a little less broken. “Thank you.” Pressing up on her toes and tugging on him, she was able press a kiss to his cheek. Sometimes, their height differences were annoying, but right now, she was definitely enjoying the size of her new lover.

He smiled down at the woman. “Let’s go home.”

Back in the truck and on the road, Sam followed the taillights of the Impala and Caeley’s truck. The last leg of the trip was quiet, only the sounds of the road and music from the radio. Her bare feet were tucked under the edge of his thigh, keeping a physical connection between the two. She relaxed against the bench seat, her eyes unfocused. When they were only a few minutes from the Bunker, he moved to grasp the female’s knee. “Hey, we’re almost there.”

Caeley sat up, but left her feet tucked where they were. Her sharp eyes watched as they turned down the final few streets, coming up to a large abandoned building. “What is it?” she asked.

“It’s an old power plant. We think that’s why we have power, water, Wi-fi, and the like.” Coming around the building, they found the entrance to the garage. All of the vehicles were parked outside and the trio hopped out, the woman having put her shoes back on. Sam kept his gaze on the female, wanting to see her reaction. “We’ll take you inside first, then we can get the animals settled.”

She nodded, quietly moving to follow Dean while Sam followed her. Her eyes widened as she took in all of the antique cars, wondering about the stories behind all of them. She was led down the hallways, seeming almost like a maze. The men spoke through a tour as they walked. They described the rooms they walked past, showing off the galley, infirmary, and apothecary. When they reached the library, Caeley couldn’t help but stop in her tracks. The books and the artifacts were everywhere. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on this information, wanting to unravel the secrets of the supernatural world. This would have to be put aside for the moment, but when she saw the room, she could think of nothing else.

Sam smiled and gently wrapped his hand around her wrist, pulling her from her thoughts. “Let’s get you a room, and we’ll get the animals out.” As much as he wanted to simply have her stay with him, he thought that she would prefer having her own space. The witch nodded, her gaze still fixed on the books. She heard him chuckle as Sam had to pull her away from the room. “You’re allowed to come back.”

Caeley blushed, but smiled as she followed the two brothers. She watched as Dean pushed open a door, noting the number ‘20’ on it. “Seems like it’ll be big enough for your bed and altar.” The room was empty but was noted to have a large closet. “Don’t girls need a big closet? I think that’s what they say on TV.” Dean shrugged as he turned away. “Sam’s room is right next door in 21, and I’m in 11. Shower room is just down the hall.” He looked back over his shoulder. “Let’s get the animals unloaded and your stuff moved in. Sammy and I will put up the buildings.”

The process of setting up the area for the animals went relatively smooth. Not far from the garage entrance but tucked around the back of the large power plant so it wouldn’t be immediately obvious, they set up the goat barn, coop, and shed for the animals. Freddie was ecstatic with the new area to explore, so the witch worked her quickest at getting the barriers stones carved. She could always move them or add more later, but she set up a decent area for the animals to wander for now. With that done, it was a relatively simple matter of moving the four charmed trunks, as well as a few smaller bags into the bunker, the guys taking care of the large bed. The two men unhitched the small pick up, pulling it into the garage and removing the hitch from the classic car. With that done, Dean and Sam were able to head out to get rid of the truck and trailer.

Caeley was left to herself to set up her room. She hummed to herself as clothing was put away and her altar was set up, carefully cleaning each sign. There was Brighid’s cross as well as symbols for Airmid, Durantia, Diancecht, and Lugh. They were the gods that had the most influence on her gifts. She whispered her prayers as she set up the table, but she would prepare offerings at another time. Next was the bathroom. It took her a few doors, but she did eventually find it. She was pleased to see that there was a set of shelves available for her use. She set up her toiletries, still singing as she put everything away. Returning to her room, she headed to the three remaining trunks. While not heavy, they were simply too large for her to carry on her own. She still had something that she wanted to do.

Pulling out her carving set again, she set up shop by her door. It took some time, but she was able to put a sigil on the wooden door itself. It was from a third type of background, different from the others that she had drawn this morning at breakfast. This one looked like a large 'S' with an extra loop off of the side of the top loop, a large dot in the top loop, and several extra sharp lines that crossed in the bottom curve. Pressing her hand over the carving, a few words in Gaelic, and her eyes glowed as her power flared, activating the mark. When the door was shut, the circle would be completed and the sigil would be activated automatically. Caeley couldn't help but smile. She hoped that Sam would enjoy it as well.

A knock rang through the room. Wanting to test the sigil, the woman called, "Come in." No one entered and there was another knock. Smile widening, she pulled open the door to reveal the tall hunter. "I'm guessing that you didn't hear me?"

Sam's eyebrows furrowed, confused at the comment. "You were talking?" That couldn't be right. He heard everything in the bunker. He even heard Dean when he was watching porn. Sound just travelled forever, whether it was the type of construction or something else, he wasn't sure. For him to not hear Caeley… wait… She had mentioned something about this earlier. "Did you put up a silencing sigil?"

The redhead grinned as he caught on. "Yes, look." Pulling him into the room, she showed him the back of the door. "When the door closes, the circle is complete."

His fingers traced the unfamiliar sign. He needed to see this at work. "Hey, Dean!"

“What?”

“Come here!”

“Where are you?”

“Caeley’s room!”

“Why do you want  _ me _ there?” Dean scrubbed a hand against the back of his head as he came around the corner.

“Sam wants to see the new sigil work,” Caeley explained. She carefully put away her carving tools, making sure they were clean and taken care of.

“New sigil?” The elder Winchester poked his head into the room, seeing the ‘S’ like carving on the back of the door. “What does it do?”

“She says that it provides soundproofing for the room when the door is shut. I want to see if it works.” Sam pointed back out into the hallway. “We’ll have a conversation. You open the door whenever you’d like. I want to know if you hear anything.”

Dean raised an eyebrow, still confused about this whole thing. “Dude, why not just play music on your phone or something?” It would be easier than this whole debacle.

Sam rolled his eyes, pulling out his phone to do exactly that. “Let me start it before you close the door.” The younger brother turned on a song that the man would definitely recognise as the riffs from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s  _ Simple Man _ rang through the room.

“See, Sammy, I knew I’d get you listening to the right music.” Dean grinned at his brother before pulling the door shut. As soon as the wooden door swung shut, the sound of the music disappeared. That wasn’t possible. You couldn’t time it  _ that  _ perfectly. He swung the door open, the music playing where it should have been if it hadn’t been stopped. “Seriously? Was that playing the whole time?”

His brother nodded, the witch simply watching her two new roommates. “Yeah. I knocked on the door earlier and she called for me to come in and I couldn’t hear her.”

The older hunter stared at the phone; he had to make sure they weren’t messing with him. “Put the phone down and keep the music playing. Both of you out here with me.” As soon as the trio was out in the hallway, Dean pulled the door shut again, listening as the sound of the music totally cut out again. Opening the door, it was still playing. “Is this real?” He couldn’t help but open and close the door a few more times, listening to the music stop and start.

Caeley bit the inside of her cheek as she watched the man be so entertained by playing with a door. “It’s not going to change if you keep doing that. The same thing will keep happening.”

Dean stared at the woman for a moment. “Shut up.” He headed back into her room, moving around the door to look at the sigil. “You two take the music.” He shoved the phone back into Sam’s hand before shutting the door on them. It was just long enough for the couple to look at each other and the door opened again. “I can still hear everything out here. You just can’t hear me.” He was grinning, immensely pleased with the situation. “Can you put that on my door?”

The witch stared at the hunter, waiting for the other shoe to drop. “Are you sure?” she couldn’t help asking, her voice quiet. “You’re asking me to carve a symbol into the door of your room. You can’t even seem to trust me not to hurt anyone for twenty-hour hours.” She was happy to do it, happy to help, but she didn’t want him to turn around as he had done several times and accuse her of doing something unsavory.

The man’s smile fell, looking down at the short woman. This is what Sammy had been trying to tell him, that he had hurt the woman. “Cae, I…” Dean sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. He didn’t know what to say.

Unable to lift her head, the woman stared at his feet. “I just want to be given a chance, Dean. I don’t want you to accuse me of harming people when I haven’t done anything wrong. I know that you have been raised to believe differently, but I’m not a monster. What I can do,  _ can _ be what turns me into a monster. But it’s not  _ who _ or  _ what  _ you are that makes you a monster.” Caeley picked up her chin, her eyes burning but not from her magic use. “It’s what you  _ do _ that makes you a monster. I have struggled my whole life to make sure that I use what I have been given in a positive way. I strive to use my gift to protect people. Just the same as how you use your gifts.”

This confused the hunter. Meeting his brother’s eyes, unsurprised to find confusion there. “Gifts? We don’t have gifts?”

The redhead gave a sad smile, meeting the two pairs of eyes that were watching. “Do you believe that just anyone would be able to do what you do?” She waved a hand in the general direction of outside. “Traveling the country? Saving countless people? That takes a certain kind of person. Those are your gifts. You need to use them appropriately, as it could be disastrous if you misused them.”

“But yours could be really bad,” Dean insisted, allowing his honest thoughts to come to a head. “We saw what happened with Clara.”

Sam watched the exchange, leaning against the wall with his arms across his chest. This was a conversation that needed to happen between the pair, or resentment would just continue to build. Caeley didn’t know how to handle his brother, his waffling that depended on his mood and inability to be truly honest about what he felt. Dean didn’t know how to handle having someone call him out every time he was being hurtful.

“And you can’t tell me that you haven’t used your power to protect others, no matter the cost.” She raised her arms in a shrug. “You do what you have to do to make sure what needs to happen is done.”

That had both of the brothers thinking. People had died to keep others safe, just like Clara had died to keep the people of Scituate alive. “Yeah, but -”

“So what makes Clara different? She was causing the death of people and ready to take the lives of many more. Ending her life saved many more lives. And don’t tell me that it was because I used magic. What do you think the witch-killing bullets are? Potions are part of magic. Devil traps are sigils, just like what I have on my door. You use your own magic more than you’d like to admit.” Her arms crossed over her chest, but not in a defiant sort of way, but to build a wall between her and the hunters.

Dean had nothing to say in response to that. He and Sam had previously used several different kinds of magic: hoo-doo, voo-doo, potions, sigils. It was just because they used it to defeat supernatural creatures that it never seemed like such to them. The brothers made eye contact, to which Sam simply shrugged. It was up to Dean to make the next step. His hazel eyes then turned to Caeley, watching as she waited. She looked more relaxed in front of his brother than he had seen in the past two days. He couldn’t imagine how much better she felt getting everything off of her chest.

“Look, kid. This is hard for me,” the elder eventually said, looking up at the ceiling instead of meeting the witch’s gaze. “I’ll do my best,” he relented. “But I’m sure I can depend on you to call me out if I screw up.”

Sapphire blue eyes met vibrant green, as if she was reading him, and it was true. She was reaching out with her empathy and her intuition, making sure that he was actually meaning what he was saying. Her truthsayer abilities, as well as her empathy, could only tell her that he was being honest at that moment, but she would have to wait and see. After a moment, she nodded. “I’ll grab my carving set and I’ll put it on your door. Will you two help me move the three trunks? They aren’t heavy, just too unwieldy for me.”   
  


The evening passed uneventfully. The mark was set into Dean’s door and the trunks were emptied, the trio tucking them aside in case they were ever needed again. Caeley had collected more stones from outside, leaving them on the desk that was in her room to be able to carve them for boundary markings. The animals were even settled, the feathery bastard that was Freddie exhausted as well as the witch had tucked them away. She had decided to let the hens keep the recently laid eggs. She would have had to stock up on new chickens anyway. Her magic helped them live longer and lay eggs for longer periods of time, but she would be seeing the hens come to the end of their egg laying times soon. Having chicks would help have the next generation of hens. She was dreading having to get a new rooster, but she would wait and see what would happen. With how much Castiel loved the damned bird, she may just give him his own space for the angel to visit him.

Sitting down at her desk, the Irish woman heaved out a sigh. It had been a long several days of traveling. One thing she was already noticing with being in the bunker, was the lack of background noise. In her little cottage, she could hear the ocean and the sounds of the woods. Here? It was just too quiet. Reaching for the little used phone, she tried to search for something that could help.

“Hey.”

The witch looked up, smiling at the sight of her new lover as he entered the room, not bothering to shut the door behind him at the moment. “Maybe you can help me. I’m not very good with this thing.” She held up the phone.

Sam smiled, moving to sit on the edge of her desk. “I think this is the first time I’ve seen you show your age.”

Unable to help herself, Caeley poked him in the ribs, smiling at the twitch. “I’m looking for something for background noise. It’s too quiet here.”

The male nodded. “Easy enough.” An easy download of Pandora and he walked her through setting it up with her email. “Now you can have it play almost anything.” Showing her, he set up some quiet instrumental music.

“I think I may invest in some speakers, something to hook the phone up to.” She gently took the phone from his hand, looking through the app for a moment.

“You would have better quality sound. We can help you get something.”

“How do deliveries work here? It’s about the only thing I do with the phone.”

“We have a P.O. Box that everything goes to.” Taking the phone back, he helped walk her through the process of setting up the address for a decent set of speakers to be delivered. Looking up, he noticed that she seemed to want to ask something, but didn’t know how to phrase it. “What’s up?” he led.

The woman took a deep breath. “Do you or Dean have a phone number? Just in case?” She could feel her cheeks grow warm as she flushed.

Sam wondered if the woman was really eighty-five. She reminded him of a teenager right now, how she refused to look at him as if embarrassed. “Haven’t you ever asked for someone’s contact info before?”

“No,” she shook her head. “I don’t have any contacts, other than Bobby. He doesn’t count, either. He has always called me, I’ve never called him prior to the events with Clara.” Her gaze focused on him after a moment. “I didn’t obtain a cell phone until less than fifteen years ago. That was after I met Bobby. The cottage is wired for a landline, but I removed the phone after too many prank calls.”

A large hand gently ran over her head, soothing the woman. Despite having just moved into the room, her scent circled him. He could see candles burning on her altar, one at each symbol and one more, off to the side. “Who’s the sixth candle for?” He stood from the desk and wandered over to the long table that stood against the wall on the other side.

Caeley stood to follow him, her hands clenched behind her back. “Camalus, a god of war, protection, and agriculture. He was most helpful during our altercation with Clara, so I wanted to thank him. With living with you two, I may keep permanent offerings on my altar for him.”

“What symbol would you put up for him?” Sam was genuinely curious about the witch’s faith. He believed her when she said that her gods had helped.

Despite knowing what her empathy told her, she still looked up and scanned his face, wanting to make sure he wasn’t wasting her time with this. “I’ll locate a statuette of a wild boar and I’ll create a ring of oak. Both are symbols for him.” She watched the flames dance for a moment. “I’ll be spending time in the apothecary tomorrow. I want to see what potions and concoctions I can make up ahead of time. I have a feeling that I’ll be spending quite a bit of time patching the two of you up. Good thing I know some first aid as well.” She smiled up at her new lover. “You’ll at least have straight stitches from me.”

Sam chuckled, running a hand over the woman’s head again. “Things that we have to kill don’t typically want to be killed, so they do fight back.” He watched the female for a moment, before reaching for her braid. Sharp blue eyes observed as the hunter pulled out the tie that had been holding her braid in place. “You should leave it down more often,” he told her as he combed his fingers through the unraveling french braid, waves of copper surrounding her face. He enjoyed running his fingers through the loose strands. Unable to help himself, he fisted her hair, bending down as he used his grip to pull her up to him. He swallowed her whine as she gripped at his flannel and tongues met and danced. He heard the door shut behind him, activating the sigil that would keep Dean from hearing what was going on in her room. The younger Winchester groaned into the kiss, knowing then what this was headed for.

Caeley pulled away enough to break the kiss, but their breaths still mingled. “I want to try something, if you are willing to trust me.” She gently pressed Sam backwards to sit on the edge of her bed. This put her at his height and he didn’t have to strain to kiss her. When he simply watched her, she went on further to explain. She kept her hands to herself, wanting to make sure neither of them were distracted while discussing this idea. “I’m sure that you are well aware that if you break a witch’s concentration, whatever spell she is using is broken because she can’t focus on it.” At his nod, she continued. “I’d like to try keeping you pinned with magic. If you can break my concentration, it frees you. I can’t take control again unless I can concentrate. I will keep it to your wrists and ankles, nowhere else. If it’s too much, safe word and I automatically pull back and return the leather bracelet to you.” Just talking about what she wanted to try caused her eyes to dilate with lust, the sapphire blue becoming thinner when overwhelmed by black. The thought of having the tall hunter pinned beneath her was incredibly appealing, but the risk that he could flip the power at a moment’s notice made it all the more enticing. “There would be no worries about bruises from the bindings, either.” She held out her wrists, showing him the dark rings that had his blood moving south.

Sam watched the woman, taking in her reactions. She seemed aware that she was asking a lot of him, but also seemed inclined to make sure that he was one hundred percent on board. Having a safe word helped him feel better too. He had never had one, but he understood why it made subs feel so much more comfortable, knowing that no matter what was going on everything would stop when it was said. His eyes searched hers as he thought, Caeley seemed content to wait for him to come to a decision in his own time. He also knew that if he said ‘no’, she would allow him to call the shots. “Okay.” The agreement was out of his mouth before he realized it. “I’ll use the same system as you: green, yellow, and red.” Solidifying his agreement, he untied the leather bracelet and handed it to her.

Ignoring the bracelet for a moment, the Irish woman instead threaded her hands into the male’s long hair, pulling him into her for a searing kiss. His arms came around to wrap her waist, pulling her flush against him. Pulling away just a bit, she took the bracelet and issued her first order. “Undress me.” To keep it handy, Caeley looped the bracelet over her own wrist.

That was something Sam could do. He used her hips to turn her back to him, stripping her of the flannel she was still wearing from earlier. Nimble fingers then pulled at the ties on the back of her dress, the ones that kept her breasts secured, as she lifted her hair out of his way. He could feel the shifting of the mounds of flesh as the ties came loose. After she dropped the weight of her hair, he slid off the sleeveless dress, allowing it to pool on the floor and leaving the woman standing in just her panties. He decided he should get a chance to play a bit too as he reached for them. Teasing the woman, he pulled her backwards so her legs bumped the edge of the bed between his thighs. His fingertips dipped under the edge of her panties, brushing against the sensitive skin.

“Take them off or I’m going to do it for you,” she snapped, both being turned on and frustrated by his playing.

The response came without really thinking. Sam nipped at her shoulder. “Make me.” She was too high strung to put him through the same punishment he had given her last night. Part of him wondered what the punishment would be for topping from bottom. The last thing he expected was to lose control of his own hands as she used magic to guide him into ridding her of the fabric. He chuckled. “I didn’t think that you’d actually make me.”

Caeley smiled as she turned to face him, grinning at the comment. “Stand up,” was the next order. “I’m going to undress you,” she explained. She was able to do so easily, only requiring his help with pulling off his t-shirt due to his height. She helped him pull off his boots and socks, shedding him of his jeans and boxers when she had him sitting on the bed again. Once he was stripped, she told him, “Lay on your back in the middle of the bed.” Her blood was rushing through her veins as she watched this tall, powerful man willingly submit himself to her. Moving carefully, she straddled him, his hard cock pressing against her from underneath. “Ready? Color?”

A rushed nod greeted her. “Green.” He could feel that she was already growing wet as her center dragged along his length. She seemed to be very excited about this, but he appreciated the fact that she was frequently checking in with him, making sure he was comfortable.

Not taking her eyes from him, she reached out with her energy and magic. She watched as his wrists and ankles were pinned to the bed, his hands fisted on either side of his head. The witch gave him a moment to test the invisible bindings, unable to help running her hands up his arms. She could feel muscles bunch and tense under her hands, as well as feeling his hips shift underneath her. “Color?” She would check in as often as he needed at first, anything to make sure that he felt safe in her hands.

This was something he had never been exposed to before. The magic felt like shackles pinning him to the softness of the female’s mattress. He couldn’t help the frisson of fear that shot through him. “Yellow,” he answered. He didn’t want her to let go, but he needed time to settle in. “Just, give me a minute,” he ground out. His eyes searched for her, picking up his head from the mattress. Despite the heat, her eyes were soft. She gently tucked a pillow underneath his head, keeping him from straining his neck to keep her in his sight.

Her heart thudded in her chest at the sight of the male at her mercy, just as she could feel his own pounding beneath her hand, but she made sure to pull back her excitement. She could feel his fear so she set about making him more comfortable. She slid her hands up his arms again, not stopping until she had threaded her fingers through his, her soft chest against his hard physique. It was a few minutes, but she didn’t move as he clutched at her hands. Her eyes held his gaze, her pupils returning to normal size as she relaxed. By laying over him, she was able to feel his breathing slow and his heart stop pounding. “Color?” she asked, her voice almost a whisper.

Sam took a deep breath, checking with himself as to what he felt. With her hands holding his, it felt like her hands were holding him down. He reminded himself that her magic was an extension of her. “Green?” He sounded unsure.

Caeley gave him a soft smile, slowly pulling back her hands and running them down his arms, pushing herself to sit up over the male. “Remember, if you can break my concentration, you’ll be set free. I won’t be able to pin you again until I can concentrate again. This means, if you can distract me enough, I won’t regain control.” Her smile grew to a grin, appearing downright lecherous as she sat up, her hands running through her own hair, lifting it to fall against her back. “If you can repeat last night at all, you won’t need to worry about me regaining control.”

Heat gathered in his belly at the memory of last night. Having the witch pinned underneath him was more than he could have ever wished for. His grin grew dark as he looked up at the woman. Remembering her response to last night, he was going to pull out every trick in his book. “Just wait until I’m free. I’m going to break you.” He knew he was on the right track as he could visibly see the shudder that raked down her spine. She reacted well to dirty talk and he was happy to deliver.

The man beneath her had grown soft in his distress, but she could fix that. As she pulled off of him, she dragged her hands down him as well, outlining muscles that strained against her touch. She started much in the way he had started with her last night, the invisible shackles holding his legs apart allowed her to trail invisible designs with her hands up the insides of his legs. Her mouth followed when she met his hips, torturing the sensitive skin of his Adonis lines with her lips and tongue. Looking up, the witch was pleased to see his gaze had darkened, hyperfocused on her actions. She ignored his rapidly hardening cock, the only thing touching it was her hair as she followed the lines of his body. Fingers traced the outlines of his abdominals, his muscles jumping and gasps escaping his throat. Her lips and teeth found the flat nipples that topped each pectoral. It was enough to have a groan echoing through the room, his head pressing into the pillow. A shiver spread down her spine. “I can’t wait to have you filling me up,” she told him, her voice wrapping around him like velvet. She could feel a shudder pass through him. She sat up, straddling the base of his ribs and she rested a hand on either side of Sam’s head, her gaze burning into him. “Did you want to hear about how perfectly you fill me up? Stretching me out to my limit? Or would rather hear about how gorgeous you were when you said my name as you made me yours?”

Apparently dirty talk was a kink of his own, unable to look away as her filthy words shook him to his core. He went to reach for her, forgetting that he was restrained. The frustration flooded through him, but then an idea struck him. He turned his gaze to the woman, hazel meeting burning sapphire. “I’d rather you come up here and sit on my face. I’ll show you how much I appreciated last night.”

Caeley was intrigued. “I’ve never done this before, you may have to guide me.”

Heat ran through his blood at the idea of being her first for anything. The Winchester gave his bedmate a dark grin. It also was going to give him a chance to top from bottom, though this wasn’t a standard Dom/sub scene. Neither of them were really in charge. It was more of a challenge to see who broke first. “Hands on the headboard and kneel over my face.” If he had his hands free, he would have physically guided her, but that was the plan: distract her enough so he was free again.

She was slightly clumsy as she moved, but she couldn’t help the excitement that coursed through her. Despite his orders, this really was a position that put her in charge. She tucked her feet and calves underneath him to keep them out of the way and her hands clutched at the headboard. “Color?” While he had been the one to suggest this, she still wanted to check in and make sure he was okay.

“Green,” came the almost immediate answer. “Get down here,” he growled out. As she lowered herself, he couldn’t help but noticed that she had lined herself up perfectly. He went to town, his lips, tongue, and teeth already bringing ringing cries from her throat. He took a moment to silently thank her for her foresight to carve in the silencing sigil into the door. There would be no worries about Dean hearing their activities tonight.

Caeley’s head fell back, her hair brushing against Sam’s chest as she clawed at the headboard. She thought he was talented with his tongue yesterday, but this was another level. Her thoughts were scattered but she didn’t realize how much so until she felt large, almost hot hands crawl up her back, forcing her into the position he was looking for. The witch probably should have realized his plan, but right now she was so lost in the pleasure it didn’t matter. As long as he didn’t stop, she wouldn’t complain.

The hunter pulled the woman away just before she fell over the edge. As her cry of frustration filled his ears, he used his strength and weight to roll them, pinning the woman on her back beneath him. Making sure he moved quickly enough that she couldn’t shackle him again, he jerked her hips up onto his knees, lining himself up with her sopping cunt. “I’m going to make you scream my name,” he growled out, pressing a hand down in the middle of her chest to keep her from moving as he pressed into her depths.

The female couldn’t think, could barely breathe, but that had nothing to do with the hand on her sternum and everything to do with the large hunter that was currently filling her up to capacity. Her hands clutched at the arm that pinned her, not to move him but to ground herself as he took her for his own. “Oh, please, don’t stop,” she begged. She forced her eyes open to watch him as he appeared downright feral. “Oh, gods, you are so big.” The witch knew then that even if she asked him to back off, she would eventually be pushed to take the entirety of him. On the flip side, she was so close to falling over the edge, she would have dragged him back if he tried to pull away. Unable to help herself, she slid a hand down her body, fingertips circling her clit. Just as she was about to fall into the abyss, a rough hand grabbed hers and pulled it away. She lifted her head to glare at the hunter, but the effect was lessened as her eyes rolled up into her head. Several hard, deep thrusts that had the head of his cock banging into the end of her had distracted her again.

“I’m the only one that gives you pleasure. Don’t help it along,” he ordered, pleased when she wailed in response. When she didn’t fight him on the order, he rewarded her by pulling one of her legs from his waist, instead holding it against his chest and over his shoulder. He knew that she was enjoying the change in angle because it sent her headlong into a spiral of pleasure, his name bursting from her throat in her orgasm as her hands clung to the arm that pinned her to the bed. He groaned himself as her inner walls clenched down on him, tightening like a fist around his cock. “Fuck, you’re so tight when you cum. Almost like you want to push me out.”

As she came back to herself, she glared at the man. “Don’t you  _ dare  _ stop!” White magic pulsed to life along her hands but she found herself distracted again as Sam’s hand moved from the center of her chest to wrap around her throat. The grasp itself was gentle, but the thought of how much power he had over her in that moment had her throwing her head back, pressing the column of her neck into his grasp. “Yes, please!” she gasped out, her breath shuddering in and out of her chest.

As soon as he had moved his hand, he could tell how much she enjoyed it as she became even tighter, muscles clenching around his cock. The angle he was thrusting into her allowed him to directly pound into her g-spot. As he minutely tightened his gasp, just enough that there was no space between his skin and hers, it was like he had flipped a switch on the Irish woman. Her cries increased in volume, dirty talk rampant when she could speak. Either way, it served no purpose other than to egg him on. Every cry of ‘harder’ or ‘more’ sent fire through his blood. Another orgasm gripped the woman underneath him, sending him head long into his own pleasure. “Fuck.” He ground deeply into the woman as he emptied himself. His brain wasn’t working quite yet, but he couldn’t help but notice then something had felt different. But what? He couldn’t move, didn’t want to move as he kept the witch trapped beneath him.

Caeley could do nothing but simply breathe. Sam was exactly what she needed in the bedroom and she would do what she could to keep him as long as she could. She felt him take a deep, shuddering breath before pulling away. She hissed at the loss as he pulled out but sat up immediately when she heard his gasp.

No condom. That’s what felt different. He was so distracted with what she wanted from him that he had forgotten. “Cae, I’m so sorry. I forgot -” He was cut off when she gently covered his mouth with her hand. He was confused at her soft smile.

“Sam, it’s okay. You can’t get me pregnant, not without previous magical intervention. I’m eighty-five, remember?” She removed her hand and instead cradled both sides of his face, her thumbs following along his cheekbones. “As long as you’re clean, we’re okay.”

“You said that your mother had you when she was over two hundred years old,” he countered. He sat back on his heels, thoughts whirring through his head. It was then that he remembered that they hadn’t even known each other a week. What was he doing? Why was he  _ this  _ attached to her? Why was she  _ this  _ attached to him? What was she looking for? Was she looking for a child from him?

The witch hadn’t even had a chance to respond before she watched the hunter’s walls come back up, hiding from her. “Sam?” she whimpered. Why was he pulling away from her? “Where did you go? Come back to me,” she called, her voice soft. She remembered that he was still vulnerable to her magic. Hoping it would help, she untied the bracelet from her wrist and tied it to his. “Sam, please?” Pain shot through her heart as he pulled away from her.

He needed to get out of here. He needed to think, by himself. He only took the time to pull on his boxers and jeans, gathering up the rest of the clothes. Sam even picked up the flannel that the redhead had been wearing, taking it with him.

Caeley reached for the man, ignoring the glare he shot in her direction. “Sam, what is going on? Please, talk to me?” He shook off her hands as he stood. While she couldn’t stop him, there were other things she could do to keep him from leaving. Her eyes glowed and the door didn’t budge when he attempted to wrench it open. She moved to stand next to the door, trying to put herself in his line of sight. Anything to make him talk to her. She knew that he was scared of something, but she didn’t know what.

“Open the door,” Sam ordered. He needed out. He needed to think.

“No. Talk to me.” She wrapped herself in her cool facade as the man stood over her. This was the side of him that went out in search of creatures that were harming people. To have this look directed at her? It was more than terrifying. She clenched her fists and forced her spine straight as fear tore at her heart. The witch may have felt better, in more control, if she had clothing on versus standing in the nude, but there was no time for that. “What is going on?”

The Winchester pulled at the door again, managing to pull it open a bare inch before her magic slammed it shut again. Her focus wasn’t absolute, so he knew that he could get out the room. He would have to use her lesson against her.

She gasped as a large hand buried itself in the hair at the back of her head. She couldn’t fight as he wrenched her up into a bruising kiss. It took a second, but she realized that it was nothing like other kisses they had shared. It was cold, harsh, and painful as he bit at her lower lip, his hand on the back of her head not allowing her to pull away from the bite, a whine escaping her throat at the pain. The next thing she realized was that he was gone, the door slamming shut. He had only kissed her to break her concentration, allowing him to open the door. He had hurt her just so he could escape from her.

Caeley bit her own lip, keeping that pain fresh as she stared at the closed door. What had happened? She wasn’t even sure. All she knew was that he was upset about not using a condom. With her age and her magic, it wasn’t like she could get pregnant. She would have had to make several days of preparations for that. Her mother had explained that to her when she was young. The magic that kept them young kept them almost in a stasis. That’s why she still looked like she did when she was twenty. Reproduction didn’t work when your body was stuck in time. She could feel his mess sliding down the inside of her thigh, but couldn’t drum up any energy to take care of it. She didn’t even feel proud of it like she thought she would, but instead she felt used and thrown away. Trying desperately to keep her head, she returned to her bed after locking her door. She used her discarded panties to clean up the worst of the mess, but felt another stab of pain to find the flannel she had been wearing was missing. He had taken it with him.

She didn’t have enough energy to pull herself together, not even to get dressed. Right now, her only plan was to curl up with her pillow and cry. She would be human again tomorrow.


	4. Finding Each Other

When Dean meandered out of his room in the morning, he was happy to find coffee already made. The strength of it told him that it had been Caeley who made it. He was beginning to think that it was worth having her around simply because of her skill with coffee. Opening the fridge revealed that she had already gathered the eggs as well. Shutting the appliance door, he realized that the bunker was quiet other than some instrumental music at the edge of his hearing. The couple must be in the library. He remembered Caeley’s look of wonder when she had seen it. They were going to be hard pressed to remove the woman from there any time soon. He grinned. Sammy could convince her to take a break.

The elder Winchester wandered into the library, smiling into his coffee cup as he saw the back of Sam’s head. “Morning, Sammy. Where’s your girl?” He realized that the music wasn’t coming from the archives and the redhead was nowhere in sight. He dropped into the seat across from his brother.

“Don’t know.” Any other response would have the elder male looking too closely and he wasn’t ready to talk about what happened. Too bad his brother was more intuitive than that; he knew the younger Winchester too well.

“Trouble in paradise already?” Dean hadn’t seen this look on the younger hunter in a long time. His eyebrows furrowed in concern. “Something happen?”

Sam sighed, rubbing at his eyes. “Leave it alone, Dean.” He sighed, exhausted. “Just, leave it alone.” He hadn’t been able to sleep last night, sitting up with his thoughts running in circles. Halfway through the night, he had even snuck back into Caeley’s room, picking the lock. Sitting in her desk chair, he was able to make out the tear tracks that had dried on her cheeks. He was able to watch as she reached across the bed in her sleep, looking for him. Since they had met, they had shared the same bed. He had found his best sleep curled around the small female. Maybe that was why he didn’t sleep last night. The hunter shook his head, bringing himself back to the moment.

The elder brother could only watch. Something serious must have happened. He leaned forward, placing both elbows on the table. “Sammy, what happened?

The younger brother shut his laptop, purposely closing it slowly so he didn’t slam it shut in frustration. He scrubbed a hand down his face. “What if you were right? What if she is looking for something?”

This put Dean on high alert. “Do we need to get her out of here?” His gun was still loaded with the witch-killing bullets. He had never switched them out.

“No, no, no. Nothing like that.” He waved away his brother’s accusations. No wonder the woman kept freaking out every time Dean accused her; the man looked fit to kill.

“Oh, why didn’t you say that?” He sat back in the seat, picking up his feet to rest them on the table. “So, what happened?”

Sam raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you want to hear about this? It’s going to be stuff that you don’t want to hear.”

Dean grinned, holding out his arms in invitation. “Lay it on me.” So he did. Sam told him about every detail about what happened between him and Caeley. About forgetting the condom. About him walking out afterwards. When he was done, Dean stared at his brother. “So now I know about the twisted little games that you get up to.” He shook his head. He’d have to drink pretty heavily to get rid of the images that had taken up residence in his brain. “Have you talked to her? I mean, that’s a pretty obvious thing that needs to happen.” He rolled his eyes as his brother shook his head ‘no’. For being such a smart kid, he sure was dumb sometimes. “I’m going to go find her.” He pushed himself up from the table, already set in his mission.

“Dean, no!” That wasn’t why Sam told him. But Dean was already gone before he could stand to follow him. “Son of a bitch.”

The elder Winchester returned to following the music that he had heard earlier. This time, he followed it to a room he had never really used previously, though it made sense for the witch to be there. He knocked on the open wooden door of the apothecary so he didn’t surprise her. As he watched her for a moment, he noticed that something was wrong. She hadn’t bothered to braid her hair back, simply twisting it into a low bun to keep it out of her way. The only jewelry she had bothered to wear was the chunk of raw amethyst had rested between her collarbones. She hadn’t been bothered enough to even lace up her dress. “Morning, Cae,” he greeted, leaning against the door jamb. 

“Dean,” she answered. Caeley glanced up at him for the barest moment before returning her gaze to the ingredients in front of her. Her cauldron was bubbling away, the potion waiting for the witch to finish the concoction so she could store the healing paste in the infirmary. She could make small batches by hand, like she had with Sam, but she needed the cauldron if she wanted a larger batch. It was something she wanted to keep on hand in case things went south. From some of the stories she heard, things went south pretty often.

Her glance told him even more. The woman was exhausted, her eyes reddened and swollen. He could still see tracks from her tears as they had dried on her skin. Dean sighed inwardly. Why did he get stuck with this? He wasn’t good at the emotional crap. He was good at beating up people, though. “Want me to hit him?” he offered. He didn’t expect the glare that he received. If looks could kill, he would have been dead and burned… again.

“Did he send you in here?” she hissed. To the male hunter, it was like watching a rattlesnake curl, ready to sink its fangs into the closest victim. “If he can’t bother to listen, I’m not going to bother to talk. Get out.” She swiped an angry hand over her face as she turned away from the man. She didn’t want to cry anymore. She wanted to find that facade she had lived behind for the past sixty years.

“I’m better at undressing women, but I think I can figure this out. At least get dressed if you are going to be out and about.” He moved carefully, ready to react if the woman lashed out. He was glad to see that she simply braced her hands on the work table, allowing him to keep them in sight as he moved to tighten the laces. It took him a moment, his fingers unused to the movements. There. At least the girl looked somewhat put together now. Dean backed off, giving the witch some room.

“Thank you,” the Irish woman murmured. She couldn’t turn around yet. Not until the tears stopped falling. She clenched her fists tightly, ordering herself to stop. Caeley sniffed, unable to help it. “Apparently, I was more attached to your brother than I thought.” She could tell Dean was still there, watching her. “Why are you here? Just leave me be.”

“He’s just as much of a wreck as you are.” The male crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the door again. Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Sam had deigned to actually follow him, but it appeared that he didn’t want Caeley to know that he was listening.

That statement pushed the woman to turn. “Excuse me?  _ He’s  _ a wreck?” Anger flooded through her, tears falling faster now. Unable to help herself, she grabbed her coffee mug that was sitting on the counter next to her and threw it. Dean ducked, covering his head to protect himself from the shards as it exploded against the wall. “He’s the one that left! He’s the one that decided to  _ use  _ me and leave! He’s the one that shut down and used the knowledge I gave him against me! He’s the one that hurt me.” She started out yelling, but by the end of her tirade, she was simply ranting. She wanted something else to throw, but didn’t want to waste any materials. Instead, she collapsed against the counter, sliding down to the floor. “Just go away,” she sobbed, gripping the amethyst so tightly that the sharp edges were cutting into her palm. She ignored the pain. What she needed to do was stand back up and finish what she was doing. She needed to pull herself back together. Why was that so hard?

With the upset witch hidden behind the counter, it left Dean free to look at his brother. He raised his eyebrows, gesturing for the younger hunter to get in the room and fix the problem. He rolled his eyes when the other male shook his head. “Oh, come on man!” Whoops.

Dean’s outburst startled the woman, forcing her to her feet quickly. “He’s there.” It was a statement, not a question. Moving quickly, she was in the hallway before either of the men could react.

Sam wasn’t sure what to do. He had faced down angry witches before, but nothing like this. He was caught in her gaze and couldn’t force himself to move, though it had nothing to do with her magic. The pain in her eyes was enough. What she had said, ranting at Dean, he had made her feel that way? “Caeley, I -”

“No.” Her power flared, filling the corridor with a breeze that had no origin. “No,” she said again, in a much softer tone. With that, she seemed to dissolve into the breeze, disappearing from sight.

“She can teleport? How did we not know this?” To Dean, this meant that she was a lot more powerful than he realized. “It takes some serious mojo to teleport.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Any idea where she made off to?”

Sam shook his head, his thoughts running in circles again. What was he supposed to do now?

Caeley stumbled as her feet hit the leaf covered ground. Her stomach rolled and she supported herself against a tree as her coffee from the morning made a reappearance. “I hate teleporting,” she murmured. Between the throwing up and the energy drain, there was a reason she didn’t do it often. Shaking her head, she moved towards her destination. As always, the goats seemed to know when she needed help. Not wanting to be seen right away if the men were looking for her, she tucked herself into the goat shed. She curled into the hay, forcing herself to breathe deeply to settle down. The six nannies all appeared one by one. Maeve tucked herself into Caeley’s side while Hazel pushed the witch until she moved her feet, lying down so the woman could drape her legs over the goat’s back. Frigga, Cora, Gracie, and Nina filled the space, all tucking themselves as close to the witch as they could. “Only an hour,” she told herself, leaning her head back against the wall and scratching at Maeve’s head. “Then, I need to finish the potion.” She would give herself an hour to pull herself together enough that she wouldn’t fall apart when she saw Sam again. They lived together, it wasn’t like she could avoid him forever, though she was damn well going to try.

The Irish woman had plenty to do as she avoided the two brothers. Her time was spent expanding the boundary of the area for the goats and chickens. A ring further out and surrounding the entire building was made up of another set of boundary stones, each carved with the protection sigil that she had shown them previously. She had been happy to find that it worked, having been alerted by her magic when Dean had left to the store and came back with supplies. She made sure to keep the apothecary door locked when she was working in there, despite knowing the men’s ability to pick locks. She was pretty sure that someone (Sam) was picking the deadbolt lock on her door at night, having found the lock undone several times in the past week. The redhead was extremely tempted to ward it against picking, but thought against it. If something ever happened, they needed to be able to get into her room. Her dreams had been keeping her restless, filled with either heavy moments between her and the younger hunter, or the nightmare of coming face to face with a witch-killing bullet. She was glad for the soundproofing sigil on nights like that, when she would wake up screaming in terror. She was also glad that her dreams had never been tied to her intuition, only her own subconscious. The female wondered if Sam had witnessed her having either of the dreams. 

Her intuition did come in handy, as it allowed her to avoid the two men. She knew when to stay out of the library or when to avoid the kitchen. This came to an end a week or so after moving into the bunker. Caeley had to admit, having access to a washer and dryer made washing clothing so much easier.

Sam rounded the corner, finally laying eyes on the subject of his frequent thoughts as she folded laundry. “Caeley,” he greeted, not wanting to startle the woman.

The woman was glad to have regained her titanium spine and cool facade. “Sam,” she answered, not bothering to turn around. 

The male sighed. He still wasn’t sure what to do about the situation, but he wasn’t going to leave without informing the woman and Dean refused to do it. “We have a case, so Dean and I are heading out. It’s not far from here, but we’ll be gone for a few days, most likely.” He forced himself to close his mouth, otherwise he would continue to ramble. She didn’t say anything, no response. She was ignoring him again, not that he blamed her. He had screwed up. Sam sighed, the sound loud in the otherwise silent room. “Okay, then. We’ll see you.”

“Sam?”

Her voice stopped him in his tracks and he looked over his shoulder at her. She hadn’t moved. “Yeah?”

“Watch the mirrors and make sure you bring the silver knife.”

His eyes narrowed as he turned to face her. “Do you know what we’re facing?” Neither he nor Dean had given her any details on the case, not that there were many. Just people being driven insane. The witch shook her head, telling him ‘no’. Watching the woman closely, he could see her hands shaking. Was this because it was the first time they had been in the same room in a week? She also appeared to have something else to say, so he waited. She usually spoke if he gave her time, but the only thing that happened was her shaking increased to the point she had to put down the clothing in her hand.

“Just go, please.” The request came out as a whimper, low enough that he almost didn’t hear it. His shoulders sagging slightly, Sam turned and left, heading out with Dean. He’d worry about fixing it when he came back.

Caeley felt the magic in the protective boundary tug at her senses as the two men left, leaving her to her own devices. Her breath shuddered out of her. She had been doing so well. That is, until he just stood there and watched her. Why didn’t he just leave? She was sure that he realized that there was something else that she didn’t tell him, but it wasn’t going to matter, not in the long run. All she could do was be ready. She knew that one of them was going to come back and she was going to have to put them back together with stitches and remedies. She also was aware that anything she had said would do nothing to prevent this from happening. She could only make sure that the infirmary was stocked when they returned.

The biggest thing though, was that it wasn’t getting any easier. Being near him still tore her heart to shreds. She still longed to be wrapped up in him, but couldn’t bear to make the first step. The redhead didn’t do well with not knowing. With the fact that she didn’t know or understand why he had pulled away, why he had hurt her, she wasn’t doing well. She had thought she was doing better, she really did. Apparently the facade that she wore was not only to try and deceive the men, but herself as well.

Finishing up the laundry, that was the last of her chores for the day. Her plan was to spend some time in the library and head to bed. She pulled a few books out, interested in the subject matter, before sitting down at the table. Over an hour later, she found herself still staring at the same page. At this rate, she should just head to bed. There was no point in staying up and driving herself crazy.

The witch stopped when she was in front of her door, but couldn’t force herself to cross the threshold. What was the point of going to bed if the dreams were going to keep her up? Unable to help herself, she looked towards Sam’s door. Would he know? Would he realize? She couldn’t help the sigh that slipped from her lips before she pushed open the hunter’s door. His bed was made, which made it even easier for her. She could remake it, but there was something else she needed. On the back of his desk chair was a flannel shirt. Clutching at the thick fabric, she brought it to her nose. Caeley couldn’t help the releasing of tension in her muscles at the scent. One night of sleeping in his room, surrounded by his scent, that’s what she needed. It wasn’t going to be as good as sleeping while wrapped up in him, but it would be enough for tonight. Maybe it was prolonging her torture, but all she could think of was the chance of getting decent sleep. She unlaced and stepped out of her dress, leaving it on his desk chair as she pulled the flannel on. She then slipped into his bed, tucking herself under his blankets and curling into his pillow. She felt the tension fall off of her as the familiar musk filled her senses, leaving fatigue in its place. It wasn’t long until she slipped into dreams, happy to finally have a chance at a night of decent rest. She spent her dreams lost in the arms of the man she pined for, wishing he’d come back.

Not far from the bunker in a motel room, Dean was watching his brother. The guy looked exhausted and was having trouble focusing on the case. “Still thinking about her?” The elder brother didn’t need to elaborate.

Sam turned to look at his hunting partner, dragging his eyes away from the page on the computer that he had been staring at for the last twenty minutes. “I’m fine.” He forced himself to focus, searching through the information they had gathered, combined with Caeley’s warning.

“No, you’re not.” Dean sat up on the bed, watching closely. “Watching you with her? After I got past the whole ‘you’re sleeping with a witch’, thing? That’s the happiest I’ve seen you in a long time. Just talk to the woman!”

“How, Dean? How?” The younger hunter spun away from the table to look at his brother. “How would you tell her that you freaked out because you were scared of having kids? How would you apologize for going out of your way to use the knowledge she gave you against her? How would you apologize for physically hurting her so you could just get away from her?” Sam’s breath heaved in and out of him, pain radiating through his chest as he gave voice to the thoughts that had been pounding away at his skull.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You didn’t tell me that you hurt her.” Socked feet hit the ground as Dean moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “What’d you do?”

Sam’s head dropped into his hands. “I bit her, almost to the point of drawing blood.” Why was he admitting this? “She wouldn’t open the door. If I broke her concentration, she couldn’t hold the door shut.”

“Sammy, what the hell?”   
  


“I don’t know!” he snapped, sitting back in the chair again. “I needed to get out of there.”

“Alright, alright, alright. First things first: You’re scared of having kids? Is she asking you for them?”

“Well, what would you expect, Dean? Our family is cursed. Why would I want to pass that on? Everyone that we love, dies. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.” Sam started talking with his hands as he stood, running a hand through his hair while pacing. “And no, she didn’t ask me for kids. She was trying to tell me that she couldn’t get pregnant despite forgetting the condom.” It made him feel worse to say it out loud.

As the elder brother watched, he noticed more than his brother expected of him. “Are you falling in love with her?”

That stopped the young Winchester in his tracks, turning to stare his brother. “We’ve only known each other two weeks.”

“Dad would tell us stories about when he met Mom, how he knew as soon as he saw her. Time doesn’t matter.”

Sam sat down on his bed, sighing as he dropped his head back into his hands. “I don’t know if I can fix this one, Dean.”

“Well, one thing I know for sure, she’s still crazy about you. She wouldn’t be avoiding you and falling to pieces every time she saw you if she wasn’t.” Dean stood and grabbed two beers from the fridge, passing one to Sam. “Let’s nab this bastard and we’ll get back to the bunker so you can fix this.”   
  


Unable to help another sigh, Sam nodded. “Yeah.”

At the bunker, Caeley ended up spending three days by herself. She did a lot of pacing, cleaning, and thinking, unable to sit still long enough to read. She wasn’t good at just sitting with her thoughts, she needed to be doing something with the emotions that they brought up. She spent her nights in Sam’s room, happy to risk getting caught if it meant that she could have enough peace to get a decent night’s sleep. On the morning of the third day, she knew that she needed to be ready. She first made sure that Sam’s room was put back together, so he wouldn’t know that she had been in there. Then she made sure to have her supplies ready. She made sure that she had a potion to knock the hunter out, whomever it ever ended up being. Stitches were never a fun ordeal. If she could help save whichever brother from that pain, she would. She had her suture kit with plenty of thread as well as her stock of healing paste. Her linen bandages were ready.

“Cae!” Dean screamed as the door banged open. Her heart dropped. It was Sam. Sam was hurt.

“In the infirmary!” She could hear Dean dragging Sam along, and it sounded like the younger brother kept trying to get his feet under him, but couldn’t keep up. The two men banged into the large room and she couldn't believe what she was seeing. “What happened?”

A gash ran up the tall hunter’s throat, thankfully having missed anything important. His jacket was soaked through with blood and it appeared that he may have a broken rib or two. That was secondary to stopping the blood loss. “It was a god damn wraith. It got a hold of the knife. Then Sammy knocked away the spike and the damn thing sliced his throat.” God damn it, there was a lot of blood. No wonder the taller hunter couldn’t stand up without support.

“Get him up on the table. I’m going to need your help. We have to get his shirt off.”

Sam groaned, his head and vision hazy from blood loss. He was guided to sit on an infirmary bed, and he couldn’t help but flinch at the feel of gentle hands pulling at his shirt. He knew those hands. “Caeley!” She was here. He forced his eyes to focus, trying to reach for the woman.

The witch gently shushed him, doing her best to sooth the man. If he started moving around, he would lose more blood. “Dean and I will take care of it.” She had to get started. She could supplement the development of more blood, but she couldn’t replace it. If he kept bleeding, there wasn’t going to be anything that she could do.

“No,” he huffed out. “No, no, no.” He forced his hands to respond, ignoring the blood on his skin. He cradled the woman’s face in his hands. He had to tell her. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I’m sorry.”

The lump of pain that had taken residence in her heart eased when she heard those words. “We’ll talk after. Let us take care of you.” He kept pulling her face up so he could look her in the eye. She needed to see what she was doing, but he needed to stop pulling her away from the gashes to do that.

Sam felt fear grip his heart as her hands moved to pull his own away from her face. He knew that he was hurt badly, that he had lost enough blood to be dangerous. He needed to tell her while he still could. He had died before, it could always happen again. “No,” he murmured, trying to pull the woman closer.

As much as the redhead appreciated it and how it lightened her heart, she needed him to let her do her work to save his life. “Dean, can you hand me the small clear glass bottle next to the bandages?” This must have been why she had felt pushed to prepare the potion.

The elder hunter couldn’t help but feel like he was intruding on a surreal, private moment. He watched as his brother seemed determined to pull the witch into him despite everything else going on. At the question, he jumped into action. “What is that?” The fluid seemed innocuous as he handed over, looking almost like water, just a bit thicker consistency.

“It’s to knock him out. I’m sure he doesn’t want to be awake while I sew him back together.” She pulled the stopper out of the bottle. “Sam, my darling. I need you to drink this. It’s to help you feel better.” She tried to pull back enough to physically give him the bottle, but the younger man was too focused on the witch and keeping her as close to him as he could manage.

It was like watching a child avoid taking his medication, the way his brother kept avoiding the mouth of the bottle. “Alright, no more games.” Caeley wasn’t strong enough to do what she needed to keep Sam in line, not with the bulk of her magic blocked from effecting him and the bed being so high up that she couldn’t get the strength and correct angle to push him back. Placing a hand on the center of the younger hunter’s chest, Dean was easily able to pin him back into the bed, ignoring the fact that it drew a cry from Sam as the move put pressure on his banged up ribs. While the hurt Winchester continued to try and sit up, pushing against his brother, Caeley took the moment to drain the small bottle herself before sealing her mouth over Sam’s. Using her hand, she forced the man’s mouth open then sealed his nose, forcing the man to swallow the potion. She pulled back, unable to help smoothing his hair back as Dean watched his brother’s struggles slow before his eyes closed and he fell asleep.

“Can you help me get him out of these shirts? I’m going to have to cut them off. They’re stuck in the cuts.” It was slow work between the pair as she had to gently soak the cloth to pull it away, but slowly and surely, she was able to see the gashes. Three large cuts followed the lines of his ribs, the blood having slowed tremendously now that the male had stopped moving around. “He’s lost a lot of blood,” she said, speaking to Dean as she looked over her patient, “But there’s no damage to internal organs.” Gentle fingers pressed against the man’s ribs, searching while attempting not to cause further harm. “They aren’t broken, but they’re definitely bruised.” She moved on to the laceration on his throat, tipping his head to the side to better see. “He’s very lucky. The wraith went right along the artery, but didn’t touch it. I’ll still suture it anyway, to be safe.” She looked up at the male watching her closely. “He’s going to be okay.”

The hunter sighed in relief, settling in on the bed next to his sleeping brother as he scrubbed a hand down his face. “Good.” He didn’t get up and leave, instead watching the woman work on his brother. The Winchester had never sat and actually watched her work with her hands prior to this. He couldn’t help but realize that she seemed content as she kept her stitches neat and tidy. At least she was better than him or Sam when they tried to do it, but you had to do what was needed to avoid hospitals, even if it led to some funky looking scars. Looking around, he noted that she had been all set and ready to go, like she knew this was going to happen. Everything had been in place and easy for her to grab as needed. “Did you know that this was going to happen?”

Caeley looked up for only the barest moment as she finished the first line of stitches, snipping the thread. “I knew that I was going to have to put one of you back together,” came her answer. She had a feeling that this conversation wasn’t going to go over very well.

Dean felt like he should be upset with her, but couldn’t help just be relieved that she was ready to take care of them. “I’m guessing you knew this when you woke up.” Blue eyes fixed on the male for just a moment, but the fact that she didn’t answer was telling in itself. “Cae?” Green eyes were already narrowing into a glare, the man knowing that he wasn’t going to like her response.

She forced her hands to relax so they didn’t shake. She was using a needle and thread on a person, one time that you  _ really _ didn’t want to be shaking. “I knew when Sam told me you two were leaving.” She continued talking before he could build upon the anger that she could feel growing quickly inside the man. “I knew that no matter what I did, I was going to have to sew up one of you. If I told Sam, I would have to help the other brother. I knew that I could save you, that you weren’t going to die, but no matter what happened, I needed to be ready.” The witch moved smoothly through the second line of stitches, glad that the male was fast asleep through the process. “You can be angry with me, that’s fine. It’s understandable. I would be too. But no matter what I did or said, one of you was going to be hurt. I didn’t want you to have to worry about that as well when you were going off to help people. You had enough on your plate.”

Dean’s fists clenched. What was he supposed to do? She kept information from them. “Why didn’t you let us make that decision?” he snapped. Caeley always called him out on his bullshit, so he was going to do the same to her. As she looked up at him, he couldn’t help but be struck by what he saw. Her copper hair was pulled back into a low, messy bun. Her blue eyes were bright, standing out from the pale, freckled skin. That he was used to. This time, she was covered in his brother’s blood, hand marks on her face and her hands were coated. He was reminded about her promise to keep them both safe. Did not telling them really keep them safe? Sam was still hurt. But was telling the two hunters anyway, no matter the consequences, keeping them safe either? He could see why she hadn’t told them, but that didn’t mean that he liked it. “Why didn’t you tell us anyway and let us decide what to do?”

“Do you want me to tell you every time my intuition tells me something? I’ve been using it to avoid the two of you for the past week. Why do you think I’ve been so good at not running into you despite staying in such a small section of the bunker?” Her words were not angry or upset, but simply stating facts. She moved onto the third gash. Thankfully, the skin was coming together smoothly, meaning that the scarring should be minimal. “I’m not saying this to be a smartass,” she said in a quieter tone, stopping the hunter’s response, causing him to rethink his next words.

“What do you mean by that?” Now, he was honestly confused. Why did he keep getting caught in the emotional talks with the woman? She was Sammy’s problem, not his. He didn’t do this whole emotion… thing.

“I have been alone for a very long time, Dean; sixty years. If you want me to inform you of what my intuition is telling me, I will, but it’s going to take some time to remember that I have someone to share those thoughts with. I haven’t  _ had _ anyone to tell. I never needed to tell anyone, especially someone who would actually believe what I was saying to them.” She tied off a few more stitches before speaking again, making sure to focus on both what her hands were doing as well as the conversation. “I’m used to people not believing in what I say until afterwards. Normal people don’t have ideas of what’s going to happen in the future. I’m lucky I hadn’t ended up in a psychiatric facility when I was younger. It’s only because my mother and grandmother did so well at keeping us hidden that I wasn’t caught.”

“Yeah, I can see that happening.” He had spent some time in those facilities, both still open and long since closed with their ghosts, literal and not. He knew what happened to those patients, especially back then. For some reason, he still wanted to be angry with her, but she was too good at reading his emotions and heading them off. Damn empathy.

“If you two are sure that you want me to be totally honest about it, I will share what I know. But I will also tell you if I know that nothing we know, or do, is going to change anything. I didn’t want to worry you two when there was nothing to be changed. That’s why I didn’t say anything.” She finished the stitches on the young man’s side, moving to the slice on his throat, making sure that her work was even more careful in the sensitive area. She didn’t want to risk nicking or hitting anything important while she was trying to fix the damage that had already been done. “But you may need to remind me that I’m supposed to tell you, though.” She gave him a grin, which Dean couldn’t help but find slightly unnerving. I mean, the woman was sewing up his brother’s neck and had bloody handprints on her face. Even in his world, this wasn’t something he was used to seeing.

“We can do that.” 

Caeley sighed in relief as she tied off the last stitch, closing the last of the gash on his throat. “I’ll need your help to wrap his wounds, if you don’t mind.” She gestured with her head to the linen bandages and the healing paste she had laid out. Between the two of them, the pair had Sam’s stitches slathered in the paste to speed up healing and lessen the amount of scar tissue, and wrapped his chest tightly in bandages to support the bruised ribs. After that, they allowed the tall man to rest comfortably back into the infirmary bed and Caeley moved to the sink to clean off the blood. Her hands were coated and she needed to clean off her face. She would also have to change her dress, leaving it to soak. If she remembered correctly, she had some hydrogen peroxide available. That should remove the blood easily enough without ruining the material. She should be able to clean Sam’s jeans, and Dean’s clothing as well.

The redhead could see Dean standing over his brother when she looked in the mirror. “I apologize, I never asked. Are you hurt?” She turned to face him as she wiped the last of the blood from her face. She reminded herself to clean Sam’s hands, just in case he wanted to grab her again when he woke.

“Nah, I’m good.” He paused for a moment, just staring at his brother as he rested comfortably. “Sam took the hit for me.” That rankled for the older man. He was supposed to protect his younger brother, not the other way around. The Winchester looked up at the Irish woman, shaking himself from his thoughts. “How long is the potion going to keep him asleep?”

Taking a damp cloth, Caeley dragged a chair to sit at the younger brother’s side. She was thoughtful as she worked slowly to make sure she removed all of the dried blood from his hands. “I made it with the intention of keeping him under at least an hour.” She glanced up at the clock on the wall. “I believe that it’ll be another half hour or so until he wakes. Why don’t you shower and change? You’ll feel better when you get the blood off. If you leave your clothes to the side, I’ll soak them to get the blood out.”

Dean looked down at himself, realizing what she was talking about. He had forgotten that he was still covered in Sam’s blood. “I’ll have to clean the car too,” he muttered to himself. Now that he knew that his brother was safe, he was fine with cleaning up the blood. That’s why the car had leather and not cloth seats.

“Shoo, I’ll let you know when he’s awake if you're not already back by then.” The woman waved him away, settling into her seat as she set herself to keep an eye on the frequent object of her thoughts. She smiled to herself as the older hunter left, grumbling about bossy women. She wondered, her mind diving into the gutter, what he would do with a ‘bossy’ woman in the bedroom. She kind of wanted to find him a Domme just to see what happened. Shaking her head to rid herself of such thoughts, she turned back to her task, making sure that all of the blood was gone. When she had finished, she put the cloth aside to be washed later, but couldn’t bring herself to let go. She kept a gentle hold on the man’s hand, taking advantage of the chance to examine them. She had known that they were large, but seeing her hands next his? It made sense why he was able to wrap one hand around both of her wrists. She dragged her fingertips over the calluses, seeing where he had grown used to holding guns and knives. These were hands that had both saved and taken lives. She also had a feeling that there was a lot of power in these hands, not just physical. Caeley gave a soft smile, gently holding Sam’s hand in her lap. She lightly dragged her fingertips along his skin, tracing invisible designs. Oh gods, did she miss him, and it wasn’t just the sex. It was him: his presence, his laughter, his intelligence, his scent, his warmth… it was all of it.

“Oh, my darling,” she murmured. “This could either be really good or really bad.”

Her thoughts turned inward again. He had seemed apologetic when he had first arrived. Had it been the blood loss? Had he feared that he was going to die and he couldn’t go without settling things? The woman shook her head. She needed to stop that train of thought because the only thing it would do was drag her down the rabbit hole. She needed to simply wait until he woke up, and she would know. She also reminded herself that she needed to inform them of the protective circle she had built outside. Something else they should probably be aware of as it affected their protection.

As she sat, simply waiting and holding the man’s hand, it amazed her how much more settled she felt. The pit in her stomach had diminished, though she still felt that it was ready to swallow her whole at any moment. She kept reminding herself that nothing would change until they talked. It was too soon to assume anything until then. To help pass time, as well as to soothe her own nerves, the redhead began humming the Irish lullaby that she often sang, the familiar notes filling the area.

As Sam woke, he was greeted first by the sound of a familiar lullaby. Second thing he noticed was that someone was holding his hand. Thirdly, he realized that he was in a lot less pain than when he went to sleep. How did he fall asleep? He remembered reaching out for Caeley, then his brother had pinned him to the bed. He remembered the woman's lips on his then it was just blank. Hazel eyes slowly opened and his grip tightened over the hand in his.

"How are you feeling?"

The hunter turned to see bright, sapphire colored eyes watching him closely. He was glad to see the witch look at him and not run away. "Caeley," he murmured. Refusing to let go of the female's hand, he used his other arm to push himself up to sit, taking a second try when he was overwhelmed by headrush, moving so his legs dangled off the side and taking a moment to breathe through the effects of blood loss. In his refusal to let go of her hand, he pulled the small woman out of her chair and had her stand between his thighs, the linen skirt of her dress brushing the bed frame. Sam couldn't help but notice the tension she carried, almost like a wild animal ready to bolt. "I'm sorry." Pain laced the two words, hoping that the witch would understand.

While it did her heart wonders to hear those words, but she couldn't help but wonder what the apology was for. She had to be sure. "Why?" she breathed, both hands clenching his as if afraid that he'd let go, but in truth, she was looking for an anchor as she was swept up in the force of both her emotions and the man’s. She couldn't force herself to look him in the eye, her gaze dropping to their hands. Anything to make the conversation easier.

The words came out of him in a rush. "I'm sorry for hurting you. I'm sorry for leaving and not talking to you. I was…" It seemed like a monumental effort to get out the next sentence, leaving himself vulnerable to the witch. "I was scared." The words come out as almost a whisper. It wasn’t anything he usually admitted to himself, let alone out loud. His free hand moved to cup the woman's cheek, forcing her to meet his gaze. "This has been a week from hell." There was no other way to describe it.

"Is that why you've been sneaking into my room at night?" she asked, her voice low.

"You knew?"

"You forgot to lock the door when you left."

Sam shook his head at his own mistake, his thumb swiping along the cheekbone of the redhead in an attempt to soothe both of them.

"Come on, Sammy. That's such a rookie mistake. Rule number one of sneaking into a girl’s room: make sure you cover your tracks."

The pair looked up to find Dean leaning against the door jamb of the infirmary, watching them closely. Sam was happy to see his brother unhurt, that he hadn't stepped in the way of the wraith for no reason. "You okay?"

"I should be asking that of you. Cae had to sew you back together. How's it feel? We had to knock your ass out because you wouldn't let her take care of you." Dean dropped onto the next bed, scrubbing a hand down the back of his head.

The younger brother couldn't help the flush that colored his cheeks. He had been a bit desperate when they returned to the bunker. He felt the woman in his grasp attempt to pull away, but he tightened his hold, unwilling to let her move too far from him.

Her heart pounded in her chest with anxiety. She wanted to be both closer and farther from him but he wasn’t giving her a chance to settle herself. Instead, she focused on what she could handle in the moment. She gently took one of her hands back, making sure to only pull on one, and grasped the large hand still cradling her face. He went with her for the moment, curious as to what she was doing. She used his fingers to trace the line of neat stitches that ran just along the carotid in his neck. "We came very close to losing you today," she murmured.

Sam remembered being sliced before breaking off the wraith's spike, but he hadn't realized that he had been that close to bleeding out before getting to help. He looked back at his brother. "How's the car?" He needed to break the tension in the room.

"She'll wash. All that matters is that you're safe." Dean stood, slapping a hand on Sam's shoulder and laughing when the man flinched, pain shooting through his damaged ribs. "I'll leave you two to chat." He planned on cracking open a beer and settling in for the evening. He couldn't help but thank whomever was listening for soundproofing. Hopefully the couple made it that far.

"Your ribs are bruised, not broken. You had three long gashes." Gentle fingers traced over the bandages, mirroring the lines of stitches.

"It seemed like you were ready to put me back together as soon as I arrived." He was still hazy from blood loss, but he remembered even that through the anxiety he had been feeling. She had been ready with the potion that sedated him, it wasn’t something she had done on the fly.

"I knew that I had to be ready for one of you. I wasn't sure who was coming back hurt." Her gaze fell to their hands, still clasped and resting against his thigh. She knew where this conversation was going. She just hoped that he was easier to settle down than his brother.

He gave her a sharp look, hazel eyes narrowed. He did not miss her flinch under his gaze. "Is that what you wouldn't tell me before we left?" His voice came out almost as a growl, anger and betrayal filling him. He vividly remembered waiting for her to talk before she had begged for him to leave, shaking under his gaze. He should have pushed her to speak.

Caeley tried to tug her hand away but couldn't as the male tightened his grip. If anything, he tugged her closer to him. "Dean already read me the riot act. I knew that if I told you the other brother would come back hurt. I didn't want you to worry about what we couldn’t change. I knew that whomever it was would be okay, that I'd be able to put you back together." She tugged again, hoping to back away from the man. After a week of avoiding Sam, his presence was almost overwhelming, especially as upset as he was. He wasn't like Dean when it came to her empathy. While she could read Dean's emotions and understand them, Sam seemed to pour them into her, forcing her to almost take them on. She could handle it most of the time, but between the fear and anger he had been shoving towards her, it was almost too much. Two nights of sleep hadn’t been enough.

"You still should have told us anyway. We would have dealt with it." He was raising his voice, unable to help his frustration. He let go of her hand in favor of wrapping his hands around her hips, pulling her in until their fronts were barely separated. He had to look down at her, but it kept her from running from him.

"I know that now!" The words rushed out of her. She pressed her hands to the man's chest, trying to gain any amount of breathing room but his grip on her was too strong. He still wore the bracelet, so it wasn't like she could force him to let her go, either. She didn’t want to use pure magical force as there was too much of a risk of hurting him further. "Dean already yelled at me. I'll tell you what I told him. I haven't had anyone to tell in a very long time when I knew things were going to happen. No one has believed me since my mother and grandmother, not until you. That's sixty years!" She finally picked up her head enough to meet his gaze, but she couldn't hold it, looking away almost immediately. Her emotions were too raw right now. "I told Dean that I'd work on it, that I'll do my best to tell you what I know, but I'll most likely need reminders."

Sam knew that he was pushing the woman, but he didn't know what else to do. He felt that he needed her as much as he needed air. “Is there anything else you haven’t told us?” His voice was softening, becoming less of a growl in his chest.

She shook her head, almost wildly, her hands still pressing into his chest in an attempt to give her some breathing room. “Not from my intuition, no. You’re already pretty good at reading me when it comes to that. There is something that I  _ do _ need to talk to both of you about, but I swear, it’s nothing bad. It’s just to protect you.”

Hazel eyes narrowed again and his hands tightened on her hips. “What is it?” No more secrets between the three of them, especially when it affected the group.

“I set up a boundary wall with those protection sigils I had shown you. They encircle the entire complex. They alert me whenever someone crosses the boundary. I can at least tell intent, or if it’s someone I met before, I know who it is. It’ll keep someone from driving up or walking up to the place without a warning.” She glanced up at the man, catching his gaze for the barest moment before having to look away again. Caeley wasn’t sure what to do. What did he want from her? Did he want what they had before? She needed some direction but it was hard to think with how overwhelmed she was, it was clouding her every thought. "There's nothing else, I promise."

Sam watched the woman. He was figuring out this intuition and truthsayer ability of hers, slowly but surely. It would take some time, but right now, he was too tired to focus on that. He wanted to clean up, eat something, and nap, preferably with the white witch curled against him. "Can I shower with the bandages?" he asked, moving to safer topics right now.

The redhead shook her head, telling him no. "Not tonight. Let the paste do it's work and you'll be able to shower tomorrow. I did clean you up the best I could." Looking over him again, she nodded to herself. "I can at least clean the blood out of your hair and get what I missed. You shouldn't be moving around too much yet, not until those stitches give you a chance to heal. Did you want me to wrap up your neck as well?" It was easier to focus on the male when she was working on healing him, instead of trying to figure out what exactly they were now. This is where her gifts lay.

"Probably a good idea," he murmured, watching her closely. He finally let her step away, ignoring the sudden ache in his chest.

The Irish woman couldn't help the shuddering breath that heaved in and out as she was finally able to put some space between her and the hunter. Forcing her mind to focus on what she was doing and not on the tall man seemed to be a monumental effort. She made sure the water that soaked the cloth and filled the bowl was hot, but not enough to scald. It would help remove the dried blood and help release tension.

Sam couldn't help but chuckle as the woman clambered up onto the bed with him, ignoring the pain in his ribs. Their height differences certainly led to interesting situations. "Is there a spell you can use to help you grow taller?" he asked with a grin. He laughed when she responded by flicking his ear.

"I'm sure there's a spell that I can find to help you shrink." She moved to tip his head up to clean the blood that still colored his neck. She couldn't help the gasp as Sam's arm looped around her, pulling her tightly against his side as he gave her a feral grin, her hands falling to his shoulders to keep her balance.

"I think you like how much bigger I am than you." He preened at the sight of her blush and decided to take one step farther. His nose caught her under her jaw, guiding her into tipping her head back. A deep, rumbling groan echoed through his chest as he tasted her skin. God, he missed her. From the whine that she gave, he knew that she missed him too.

If she didn't stop him, she wasn't going to get anything done. Getting frisky wasn't good for his ribs either. "L-Let me get you cleaned up." She couldn't help the stutter when he gently nipped at the edge of her jaw. It would be so easy to fall into him, to give into what he was silently asking for. But she needed to stand her ground; she needed to know if he was interested in her for more than just sex. With the events of last week, she wasn’t sure and she needed to be. She wasn’t going to fall into bed with him if he was looking for something different than she was. That would only lead to the two of them getting hurt. "Your ribs need to heal first."

She was right, he realized as he let her go, pulling away from the skin of her neck. Pinning the woman to the bed would be painful in his current situation. His blood ran hot at the thought of her riding him instead, watching as her body sank down over him. He flinched as she flicked his ear again.

"Do you recall that I'm an empath? I can feel what you are feeling and you like to broadcast your emotions." Caeley distracted herself by slowly and gently cleaning up the dried blood from his exposed skin. She couldn't help but be relieved that he wasn't able to read her emotions. His earlier actions had set her body ablaze.

Sam hadn't remembered that, giving her a sheepish smile in apology. Forcing himself to calm down, he let her finally get to work. He was pleased to hear her start humming again, something she did only when she was content or in a good mood. He didn't realize how much he missed hearing it until now. The hunter allowed himself to relax, enjoying the woman's touch. She methodically worked over his shoulders, neck, back, and chest. When his skin was clean, she hopped back down to the floor, moving to dispose of the now muddy red water.

Even when he was torn up by monsters, the man was still one of the most gorgeous things she had ever seen. She returned with clean water, a clean cloth, and a comb, climbing up on the bed again to kneel behind him. Gently and methodically, she cleaned the blood from his hair. She could feel the man relax into her movements, bringing a smile to her face. She could at least make sure he was comfortable before shooing him off to bed for some rest. It took a few minutes and left his locks damp, but his long, dark hair was soon clean. She couldn’t help but run her fingers through his hair, inappropriate images coming to her mind. She shook her head, climbing off of the bed as she moved to clean up everything from the events of that afternoon. “You should eat something before heading to bed,” she told him. “It will help with your recovery. No matter what, you’ll be out of commision for about a week. No hunting.”

Sharp eyes watched the petite woman, taking in every move she made. He had never felt this way before. He had never had the urge that left him physically unable to let his bedmate go. Maybe it was the week that they had spent separated prior to this most recent hunt. Maybe it was the fact that she still seemed to want him despite what had happened between the two of them. Maybe it was the most recent brush with death. Maybe it was some combination of the three. He wasn’t sure but he knew that he would not be sleeping alone tonight, even if all they did was sleep. He wanted her within his reach.

Finishing up her cleaning, Caeley washed her hands and turned towards the tall man behind her. His gaze only helped to rekindle the fire that burned low in her belly. It was nothing that she could act on tonight. He needed the time to heal, and with how rough they could be in bed, it would only serve to aggravate his ribs and tear out his stitches. The last thing that she needed to do was apply paste to his neck wound and wrap it. It was a simple process, but everything was harder to do when she was wrapped up in the man’s presence. She stood between his thighs again, unable to help biting her lip when his large hands settled on her hips, pulling her even closer while she worked. The physical contact seemed to sooth his nerves, so she would let him do what he wanted for now, within reason of course. Her hands were shaking by the time she finished, tying off the linen bandages. “There,” she murmured, her gaze moving to meet his, finding that he had not stopped watching her for even a moment. “That should help with the healing.”

Sam moved a hand from her hip to cup her cheek again, gentle fingers brushing over soft skin. He was glad to see her settle into his touch, eyelids drooping. As he leaned in to brush his lips over hers, he was surprised to feel her flinch. He pulled back, taking in her expression, taking a moment to figure out why. She refused to meet his gaze and had pulled away from his touch, but his grip on her hip kept her from getting too far away. When he saw her bring a hand up to her mouth, pain shot through his chest that had nothing to do with his bruised ribs. The witch was remembering how he had hurt her in an attempt to get out of her bedroom. “Cae,” he murmured, running his free hand through her hair before resting his forehead on the top of her head, encouraging her to curl into him. She moved, but he could feel the shaking of her slender frame. He hadn’t realized how much damage he had done to the woman in his fear and need to get away. “I’m sorry,” he told her, his free hand running down her back in a soothing gesture. It seemed that it would take time for the female to trust him again. That’s fine, he would do what he needed to. He just held her close for a few moments, just waiting. Slowly but surely, he could feel the tension bleed out of her, which in turn loosened up the pain in his chest.

The redhead slowly pulled away, pulling herself back together. She still didn’t quite trust herself to meet the hunter’s gaze, but she forced herself to do so anyway. “Let’s get you something to eat then off to bed with you.” She patted his thigh as she took a step back, allowing the man to stand. She wanted to make sure that the effects of blood loss weren’t causing him to struggle, so she wouldn’t move too far out of his grip yet. It’d be easier to catch him if she was right there to do it. Their pace to the kitchen was meandering at best, but the silence between them was comfortable. Sam had draped an arm over the woman’s shoulders, both to steady himself as well as to keep the female close.

The galley was empty when they arrived, but they could hear Dean laughing at a television show in the ‘Dean-cave’ down the hall. Caeley shook her head as she had the male with her sit as she moved to make him something to eat. It was simple, just a sandwich, but she made sure to use plenty of protein, especially the roast beef, to encourage his body to replenish the lost blood. She was glad to see him eat, but his eyes never seemed to stray from her as she sat across the table from him. The white witch clenched her hands together to stop the shaking. She hated that part of herself, the part that always broadcasted her anxiety in physical ways. She hated that she always shook when she was anxious or nervous. She could talk a good game and fight through it, but her hands always seemed to be part of a different story. It was why she typically crossed her arms or clenched her fists when she was upset, so no one could see the truth.

The woman brought her attention back to the man in front of her to see that he had cleaned his plate. She gathered up the dirty dish, making sure to clean it and leave it to dry. “Alright, off to bed with you,” she directed. “You need the rest.” She could see evidence of sleepless nights in his face. Was that because of what happened between them? No, it couldn’t be. The case had been rough, Dean had alluded to that. Still, he needed a night of uninterrupted sleep, maybe two. She couldn’t help her own yawn. It seems that she was still needing more sleep as well. While she had slept better in Sam’s room, it hadn’t stopped the dreams.

The hunter draped his arm over the small woman’s shoulders again, making sure to hold her close. “Seems like you need a nap of your own.” They stopped in front of his door. He would have suggested going to her room, but with the most recent events, he didn’t want to push her too soon. “Stay with me,” he said. While it was a request, he couldn’t help hearing it as an order so he made sure to soften it with a gentle kiss to her temple. His ribs protested the bending, but he was still feeling needy, almost as if he couldn’t let her go.

Caeley was surprised at the words. He still wanted her to stay? Even without sex? She nodded in agreement before she was fully aware of what she was doing, but his smile made it worth it. He kept a long arm curled around her as he guided her into his room. As before, the room smelled strongly of the male and this seemed to instantly relax her, the tension bleeding away. She glanced up at the man, hoping that he had been too distracted to notice, but it was just her luck that he had been so focused on her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice gentle. Not wanting to stand over her, he sat down in his desk chair, tugging her forward to stand between his thighs. He couldn’t help but realize how often they fell into this position, but he enjoyed the fact that it allowed him to keep the female close. It also put their heights closer together, sometimes making it so she was an inch or two taller than him.

“Nothing is wrong,” the witch answered quietly. She tried to leave it at that, but when a large, warm hand cupped her face, turning her so sapphire eyes met hazel ones, she was pushed to continue. “The events of last week were more painful then I could have predicted,” she murmured, her voice so soft that Sam could barely hear her. “The separation has not been easy. I find your scent… comforting. I have missed it.” Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

He remembered that the first time he had dressed her in his flannel she had buried her nose into the collar. He gave her a sad smile. “Being apart didn’t help either of us, did it?” He was glad to see that he wasn’t alone in his affections, but it still didn’t explain why either of them had fallen so hard for the other, so quickly. His thumb traced the dark circles that had taken residence under her usually bright eyes, noticing that she seemed to be as exhausted as he felt. “Let’s get some sleep, we can talk later.” She nodded in his grasp, eyes finally meeting his. “Ah,” he searched around the room for a moment but found what he was looking for on the back of the chair he was sitting in. A flannel shirt that hadn’t made it into the laundry yet. “Here. This should help.” He pressed the thick fabric into her grasp. The grateful look she gave him made him want to try again. The Winchester’s hand still cupping her face, he gently guided her towards him. Making sure to give her plenty of time to pull away, her only reaction was how she gripped the front of his shirt. Her lips were even softer against his than he remembered and he was able to see her eyes fall closed, moving closer to him before allowing his own eyes to shut. His free arm moved to wrap around the redhead’s waist, pulling her against him as her hands buried themselves into his hair, the flannel looped over her arm.

The kiss remained slow and relatively chaste, but Caeley felt that it was a good reintroduction into whatever this thing was between them. She pulled away just enough to rest her forehead against his, sapphire meeting hazel and seeming to search. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for but her empathy told her that he was feeling better after the kiss. She pulled away farther, bringing a hand up to cover her yawn. “Sorry,” she said, her voice low. It reminded her that she needed to get the man to bed. He needed the rest. The witch pulled away completely, turning so her back was to the hunter. She was surprised to feel his hands pulling on the ties of her dress before she was able to, but she was able to remove the linen garment and pulled on the flannel, buttoning it up before she turned to face the man. Bandages were the only thing that covered his torso, but he had shucked off his jeans, boots, and socks.

He couldn’t help but feel slightly awkward as they climbed into bed. The action of getting into bed together felt strangely intimate, especially after the week they had been through. The mattress was much smaller than the female’s but it merely gave him another excuse to curl into the woman. Sam fell into where he felt he fit best, pleased when she went along him simply moving her. Her back was pulled flush against his chest, her head tucked just under his nose as they shared a pillow. He banded a thick arm around her waist, holding her close as one of his legs tucked over one of hers. He made sure that the gun he kept under the pillow was still in easy reach of the arm that was over her head. He wanted to make sure that he had access to it if anything had ever happened.

It took her a moment, but the sense of peace that she seemed to always find in his grasp found her quickly. The scent of him on the pillows and his arm around her settled her spirit, allowing her to find rest.

_ Caeley opened her eyes, finding herself in the library. She hummed to herself, sorting books from the latest case. It had taken time, but she had been able to support the men in their search for the sirens that had taken up residence in a lakeside town, tormenting the local residents. She was simply glad that she could provide some help to the men, even if they didn’t want her out in the field. Dean had wanted to make sure that she was a better shot and Sam had wanted to make sure that her self defense was up to par. _

_ She jumped as the door to the bunker slammed open and the lights turned off, a red glow filling the room as the emergency lights lit up. She froze, as they had warned her about the bunker lockdown system. Nothing had crossed her boundary. What had happened? Who was here? Her eyes took on a glow of their own and she stretched out her empathic gift, trying to sense anyone who could be around. She slowly circled, and sometimes she thought she would catch a shadow out of the corner of her eye, but every time she turned to look there was nothing there. _

_ A book falling to the floor behind her pushed her to spin around. She withdrew some of her power as she recognized the familiar figure. “Castiel?” _

_ “Got you!” _

_ Large hands wrapped around her wrists, forcing her arms to bend behind her back at painful angles. She cried out in shock, trying to turn her head to see who had grabbed her. White sparks flew from her hands in fear, but did no damage to the man holding her. _

_ “Hurry up, I can’t hold her for long!” _

_ She knew that voice. What the hell was Dean thinking he was doing? “Unhand me!” she yelled, forcing her magic to gather in her palms. She couldn’t force him to let go, not with him wearing the bracelet, but she could use magic to physically harm him, getting him away from her. She twisted in his grip, fighting to get free as her power turned to electricity, shocking the man. She tried to use the moment his muscles spasmed to slip free, but he simply grabbed at her biceps instead, wrenching her arms backwards and pulling a cry from her lips. That hurt! _

_ “Sammy!” _

_ “I got them!” _

_ She fought as hard as she could against the grip, kicking and swearing up a storm as she tried to get away. She didn’t want to hurt the man but she knew something bad was about to happen if she didn’t get free. She cried out in pain at the feel of iron shackles locking onto her wrists, her own magic rebounding into her because of the wards. “What is going on? What are you doing?” she cried. She didn’t understand. Were these monsters that had taken the form of her friends and her lover? _

_ “Shut the hell up.” _

_ Dean was rough as he shoved her down on her knees. A second pair of shackles locked around her ankles. What on earth happened? Why were they restraining her? She turned her gaze to the angel in front of her. “Castiel? What is going on? Why are they doing this?” Her breath heaved in and out of her as her chest tightened in fear. She continued to twist in the shackles, hoping there was some way to free herself. The metal was tight against her skin to the point of bruising. _

_ “I said shut up!” _

_ Caeley was shoved forward, hard enough to fall off her knees. She managed to twist and fall onto her side, as she couldn’t catch herself, but her limbs were pulled back as the two pairs of shackles were connected by thick chains. Tears gathered in her eyes as she looked up at the two Winchesters, both of them standing over her. “Sam -” _

_ “Don’t even bother!” _

_ Her lover’s voice was harsh, angry, as if he wished that every word would cause her physical pain. The white witch flinched, falling silent as tears flowed down her cheeks. Something had happened to cause this, she knew that these three men would never do anything to hurt her. She looked towards the angel, pleading with her gaze to do something. The celestial being looked fit to kill, wielding a strange blade that she had never seen before. She cried out as her hair was wrenched back, one of the brothers shoving a gag into her mouth. _

_ “What are you going to do?” _

_ “I don’t know, Cass. How are we supposed to fix this?” _

_ “All we can do is keep it from happening again.” _

_ Again? What had happened? Why had they tied her up? She tried to force her magic through the iron shackles and cried out against the gag as her magic rebounded. _

_ “You’re going to have to do it, Dean. I can’t. Not after everything…” _

_ “Don’t worry, Sammy. I’ll take care of it.” _

_ She felt the barrel of a gun against her temple and Dean pulled the trigger. _

“Caeley!”

The witch sat bolt upright, her scream still ringing through the room. She flailed against the hands holding her, her magic automatically moving to protect her. A white flash filled the room as a protective barrier covered the petite woman, following her as she fell out of the bed with a crash, smashing her back into the desk. Lost in her fear, she shoved the chair away, hiding under the desk. Unable to move back any farther, she buried her face in her knees, her hands covering her head, and cried.

The door to the bedroom slammed open. Still lost in the dream, Caeley screamed when she saw the gun in the hunter’s hand, her barrier surrounding the desk.

“What the hell happened?” Dean yelled, trying to be heard over the woman’s cries. He kept both hands on his gun, visibly searching his brother’s room.

Sam still sat on the bed, completely lost as he watched the redhead try and make herself as small as possible under the desk. He moved to swing his legs over the edge of the bed as he turned on the bedside light, slowly moving towards the woman. “I don’t know. I woke up to her screaming in her sleep. I shook her and she freaked out.”

The elder hunter turned the safety back on but kept the gun in his grip as he moved to kneel on the floor, trying to get a better look at the lone female. He jerked as she cried out again and he was surprised when his gun flew from his grip, landing with a clatter across the room “Hey!”

Ignoring the pain in his ribs, Sam moved to kneel on the ground, his knees a bare inch from the visible white barrier. “Cae?” He wasn’t sure what to do. He wanted to gather the witch up in his grasp, but he couldn’t touch her. “It was just a dream,” he murmured, “You’re okay.”

“Why don’t you come out from under there?” Dean tried, reaching out to touch the barrier. While it threw off sparks, there was no pain. “Wonder what scared her.”

“Whatever that dream was, it was some nightmare.” Sam sighed, his eyes not leaving the huddled woman.

Scrubbing a hand down the back of his head, the elder brother sighed as he sat down on Sam’s bed. “You think her dreams are tied to her intuition? Think she saw something?”

The younger hunter shrugged. “I’m not sure.” As he watched the witch, he could see her breathing begin to even out. Blue eyes now seemed to peer out over her knees. “Caeley? What happened?” He made sure to keep his voice low and slow. He didn’t want to startle the female.

“I don’t know,” she whimpered. She kept her head up high enough to keep an eye on the brothers. “You had come back from a hunt, and seemed to be hunting  _ me _ . You two, and Castiel. You used iron shackles and you wouldn’t listen to me.” Her breathing started to increase again, tears continuing to flow down her cheeks. “Dean, you killed me. You put a bullet in my head. Sam told you to do it because he wasn’t able to.”

The two brothers looked at each other. “Cae, are your dreams tied to your intuition?” Dean asked, leaning his elbows on his knees. With the barrier still up, it was hard to fully make out her features, but the female seemed to be shaking like a leaf. No wonder she had knocked the gun from his hands.

Caeley shook her head, “No, there’s no connection.” Her chest was starting to loosen, breathing becoming easier though she felt absolutely exhausted. Her barrier flickered a few times before disappearing entirely.

Sam wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Ignoring the pain from his ribs, he reached under the desk, gathering the petite woman in his arms. It was a testament to how tired she was when she let herself be manhandled without a fuss, content to curl into his chest.

Dean stood, scrubbing a hand down his face. “Sammy, get into bed. You can’t lift her with your ribs being busted.” Ignoring his brother’s protests, he bent and scooped the woman up from the floor. He could feel how the female was still shaking, not surprised when her hands clutched at his shirt. This nightmare had really messed with her head. It made Dean think about the spats they had, the redhead calling him out for treating her like a threat. Had that been part of what had led to this? Combine that with what had happened between the couple, it was a recipe for disaster. Once the younger hunter had settled back into bed, Dean helped the petite woman curl in next to him. “I’ll get out of your way. Holler if you need me.” He scooped up his gun and headed to his own room, making sure to pull the door closed behind him.

Heaving a sigh out of his chest, the male set about releasing some of the tension now that the pair was back in bed. A gentle thumb stroked along the redhead’s cheek, wiping away some of the tears that continued to fall quietly. That was all it took to break the woman from her stupor. The hunter froze as she launched herself at him, arms wrapping around his neck and chest as a leg hooked over his hip. Warm tears landing on his bare shoulder and neck reminded him to return the affection. He buried his face into her neck as long arms snaked around her, pulling her flush against him. Sam also snaked a leg between hers, encouraging her to take as much comfort from him as she needed. “You’re safe,” he reminded her, his voice barely above a murmur. “I’ve got you.” It took a while, minutes bleeding into one another, but he didn’t let up on how tightly he held her, waiting for her to relax first. It started with her legs releasing their grip on his hips, shifting to a more comfortable position. Then her hands and arms loosened, though she didn’t let go. The last piece was her tears as they slowly dwindled down to nothing. Sam slowly loosened his grip, pulling back far enough to meet the woman face to face. “Caeley,” he murmured, resting his forehead against hers. “How long has this dream been going on?”

“A week.” She sniffed. His touch was settling her quicker than she could have imagined. She felt that she understood his need to be physically in contact with her. Unable to help herself, she pressed her lips to his.

That certainly wasn’t something he expected. The kiss wasn’t chaste, but heated and desperate. His eyes closed as he met her movement for movement. While one arm remained wrapped around her, a large hand dove into her hair to pull her in closer.

A soft cry was pulled from her lips as he encouraged her behavior. Still conscious of healing ribs, she couldn’t pull him over her like she wanted. Instead, she carefully pressed back on his shoulder, encouraging him to lay back while she followed him. Straddling his waist allowed her to bury both hands into his hair as his hands slid down over her hips to settle on her ass, pressing her tightly into him.

Sam pulled away from the kiss, breathing harshly as the female instead took the opportunity to go after his neck. He didn’t want to stop her and it was a fight to rally against the pleasure that she was giving him, but he needed to make sure. He didn’t just want to be used because she was scared. He was fine if she was looking for a reminder that she was safe, but not just to get the nightmare out of her head, they needed to talk about it. “Cae, stop, please.” Each word came out as a huff but he grasped her shoulders, forcing her back enough to meet his gaze.

“Sam,” she whined, hands clutching at his hair. “I need you, please.”

“Why?” He needed to know.

“Because it means I’m still alive. It means you came back. You’re real.” She didn’t fight his grip, but she needed to tell him. “When it wasn’t nightmares, it was us in bed together. But every time I woke up cold and alone. I need to make sure you’re real, that you haven’t left me alone again. Please.” Tears had started to fall again as she begged. She didn’t know what would happen if he denied her. She wouldn’t blame him, not at all, but she didn’t believe that her heart would survive. She had chosen him, but this relationship was a two way street. He had to choose her as well.

Hell, seeing the fear in the woman’s eyes shook him. He was realizing that the female was practically touch-starved. The lack of companionship, the lack of having someone in her life had all been brought to the forefront when he had walked away. No wonder she seemed so desperate. “You’re mine.” With that declaration, he pulled her back in, one hand diving into her hair while the other pressed firmly against her back, holding her against him.

Caeley could have starting singing, her heart full to bursting. Lips and tongues met in a harsh kiss, a groan pulled from her throat as she was overwhelmed by his taste, touch, and scent. She pulled back on his long hair, moving to kiss and nip the column of his throat above the bandages, moving along his jaw.

“You have to be quiet this time. There’s no sigil on the door.” He tilted his head further back on his own, dying to grind up against the woman but she was sitting too far up on him. Instead, he busied his hands with unbuttoning the flannel that she wore. Despite the fact that she seemed set to mark him with her mouth as much as she could, she had enough presence of mind to help him to be rid of the fabric. Once free, he tossed the shirt over the side of the bed, groaning as teeth bit into his collarbone. It seemed that he would have to take his own advice. Grabbing her hips tightly, he shifted her down and settled her down over him. He fell into his instincts, holding her against him as he ground against her, the two of them gasping almost in tandem.

Pulling away from his skin, her hands never lost their grip in his hair. “I want to taste you.” Letting go, she shifted back to slip off the bed and pulled her panties down her legs. Before the male could move, she pulled at his boxers, only having him shift his hips to remove the fabric. “Let me take care of you.” As badly as she needed him, she would not have him hurting himself more than he already was. Tonight, she was making the man hers.

For such a small woman, it only took a look to set him on fire and have him at her mercy. He could do nothing but watch as her eyes burned brightly, air heaving in and out of his lungs and pain forgotten. Her hands followed the lines of his legs, tracing muscles carved from years of hunting. When she reached his hips, he did not disappoint, already hard as a rock and waiting for her. He bit his lip as his eyes rolled back into his head, his cock disappearing into the warm mouth of the witch. His hips bucked and he almost apologized until he heard the moan from the redhead. A soft hand grasped one of his, surprising him when she guided him to place that hand on top of her head. “Oh, hell,” he grumbled. It was going to be that kind of night. Fingers dug into copper strands, not pushing or pulling, but following the movements of the woman. His teeth dug into his lower lip, fighting every sound that wanted to echo through the room.

Oh, how she wished she could hear his voice. Sam was thick and warm between her jaws and heavy on her tongue. His musky taste and smell filled her senses. The feeling of his large hand on her head added a whole other level to it. Caeley couldn’t help but wish that he would push her down but they may have to work up to that. She groaned around his length as he clutched at her hair and couldn’t help taking a hand off of his hip, snaking it down between her legs. She shoved two fingers deep inside herself, learning quickly that it wasn’t enough, adding another finger. She couldn’t help the whine that escaped her throat. It wasn’t enough. She needed the hunter. Pulling off of him, the male’s hand fell from her head. “Sam,” she huffed, meeting his gaze. “Can I? Please?” She clutched the blankets on either side of him. She needed permission, needed his agreement.

“Shit,” the Winchester groaned. He wasn’t even inside her yet and the woman was absolutely wrecked. “Get up here.” He was thankful that the female was working within his limitations as she crawled up him, never putting pressure on his ribs. Lips and tongues met in a desperate kiss as she settled her hips over his. The brunette pulled away, a large hand pressing on her chest to force her upright over him. He had never had her this way and he wasn't going to miss watching as her body sank down over him. “I’m all yours,” he murmured, giving her the permission she had been looking for. He watched, unable to take his eyes away as the Irish witch lifted herself up and he held himself ready for her. She took it slowly, as if she knew that it would drive him crazy with need. The lips of her pussy stretched open around his thickness, slowly enveloping him whole.

Caeley threw her head back, unable to help the keening from her throat as the hunter filled her to the brim. It seemed to take forever, but her hips eventually settled against his. Oh gods, she needed this.

He would have shushed her, probably should have as there was no way Dean didn’t hear the wail, but he had been too lost in the sight and feel of her body taking his. Sam had barely managed to hold back his own groan, his hands settling on her hips and gripping tightly. He could feel her internal muscles clenching and releasing at his length, betraying to him how close she already was. No wonder she had been so needy.

As much as the witch wanted to move, she wasn’t sure how to. Her legs would never stand up to the strain. She couldn’t brace herself against the man’s chest, as that would only cause him pain, and the headboard was both too far away and too short to do her any good. She whined in frustration, her hands clenching at the open air as she shifted her hips, sending shocks of pleasure through both of them.

It didn’t take him very long to notice her frustration. He grasped both her hands, forcing her to focus on him. “What do you need?”

“I - I need -” She couldn’t think, let alone speak. Trying to get her point across nonverbally, she pushed down on his hands, forcing him to brace himself on his elbows. That could work. She used his position to allow herself to grind against him. Oh gods, was he deep inside her.

Realizing what she was looking for, he laced his fingers with hers and braced his arms. It seemed to give her the support she needed right now. With the current position, he could feel everything: the head of his cock against her cervix, her clit grinding against his pubic bone, and every muscle she had holding him tighter and tighter as she worked herself against him. Hazel eyes burned as he let himself be washed away by the pleasure filling him. “Shit, you’re going to be the death of me,” he ground out, his voice coming out as more of a growl than anything else.

She let her head fall back as she felt the pressure in her abdomen building and building. She wasn’t going to last long at this rate. The muscles of her thighs were burning but she couldn’t stop. Every groan that she dragged from the male beneath her added fuel to the fire. Then all hell broke loose inside of her as he bucked up into her. “Fuck, Sam!” she cried. She lost track of what she was doing, letting go of his hands and bringing them down on his lower belly, still avoiding his ribs. He moved his own grip to her hips and she was lost to him. An unrestrained cry burst from her throat as her nails dug into Sam’s abdomen, her hips bucking against his as she spiraled into the abyss of pleasure. She was barely aware of him moving her against him, chasing his own end.

The young Winchester threw his head back against the pillows, letting out his own groan as he bucked up into the redhead, his hands pulling her down into him. He emptied himself, filling up the witch with his cum as he felt more than heard her give another cry, this one softer than the last. Slowly but surely, the tension released in his muscles, allowing him to release the death grip he had on the female’s hips. He opened his eyes to find sapphire blue orbs watching him from where she had slumped over him. Caeley seemed to be barely holding herself up as she braced her arms on the bed on either side of him. Her hair had fallen loose from the bun and was spilling down her back. Meeting her gaze again, he noticed that despite the exhaustion, she was watching him closely with undisguised fear. Why…? Oh.

There was no condom again. All she wanted to do was fall forward and sleep, but she needed to make sure. Was he going to walk away again? Had her hopes been brought up for nothing? The redhead started when a hand moved from her hip to cradle her face, gently pulling her down. He ignored her flinch as their lips met in a soft, slow kiss. It took a moment, but she slowly realized that he was trying to reassure her.

Carefully, as to not cause him anymore pain, she rested against the male’s chest, her head falling to his shoulder and her eyes closing. A chuckle sounded through his chest and his arms came up to wrap around her back, holding her against him. She knew she should get up to clean them both, especially as she could feel their spendings slipping out from where he was still buried deep within her, but she just needed a moment. She could feel how sated the male was, how content he was feeling. She could also tell that he was ready to get back to sleep.

Sam let his head fall to the side on the pillow, watching the witch as she lay on top of him, allowing him to support her. While her weight was slightly uncomfortable against his bruised ribs, he would rather put up with it than have her move away from him. This is what he had been looking for and feeling her trust him absolutely? It released the final tension from his chest. The hunter was feeling better, his spirit more settled than it had been. This is what he needed. It had taken a while and wasn’t without its share of bumps and bruises, but he had figured it out. He needed the woman in his arms more than he needed air and she had shown him that she needed him just as much. Their spirits had become intertwined in ways that he probably would never figure out. Maybe Cass could tell him, but it was one thing he felt that he could accept without all of the answers. As long as he had Caeley, he felt that he could figure everything else out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up being a lot longer than I thought it would be: 147 pages. I'll probably end up coming back to play with these characters, as Caeley has become one of my favorite OCs.
> 
> If you're interested, feel free to leave a comment or send me a DM with some ideas for situations for one-shots. I may actually branch out and have the redheaded with find a Domme for Dean. Who knows? I love hearing what people come up with and it can lead to some pretty inspiring things. I'll add them into a collection that way people can follow along if they'd like.
> 
> But for now, see you later, and be safe.


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